Chemical Rubble: Historicizing Toxic Waste in a Former Mining Town in Northern Chile <span class="so-article-trans-title" dir="auto"> Translated title: Arcadia: Explorations in Environmental History, Autumn 2016, no. 20: Chemical Rubble: Historicizing Toxic Waste in a Former Mining Town in Northern Chile </span>

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Abstract

This short piece presents the case of Pabellón, a former mining town located in northern Chile. Although mineral processing finished long ago, it left behind a significant amount of highly toxic waste known as tailings, which is currently left abandoned in the vicinity of the town. As a way to bring back such toxins out of oblivion, the article proposes understanding tailings as chemical rubble, a key component of the chemical heritage of former mining activities. Such a notion should force us to care for such materials, both in historical and contemporary terms.

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Author and article information

Journal

Publisher: Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society, Munich, Germany

Publication date (Electronic): 2016

Publication date (Issued): 00 December 2016

Article

DOI: 10.5282/rcc/7704

SO-VID: 2aef7dce-78a6-40f0-80df-7670cb2689ea

License:

CC BY 4.0 2016 Sebastián Ureta

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History

ScienceOpen disciplines: Literary studies,Philosophy of science,Environmental change,Environmental studies,Contemporary history,Cultural studies

Keywords: deserts,heritage,landscapes,mining,public health ,chemistry,toxicology,settlements,soil pollution,waste,Landscape Transformation,Pollution,Resources

Data availability:

ScienceOpen disciplines: Literary studies, Philosophy of science, Environmental change, Environmental studies, Contemporary history, Cultural studies

Keywords: deserts, heritage, landscapes, mining, public health , chemistry, toxicology, settlements, soil pollution, waste, Landscape Transformation, Pollution, Resources

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Chemical Rubble: Historicizing Toxic Waste in a Former Mining Town in Northern Chile Translated title: Arcadia: Explorations in Environmental History, Autumn 2016, no. 20: Chemical Rubble: Historicizing Toxic Waste in a Former Mining Town in Northern Chile

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