text: Heap leach mining works well for large volumes of low grade ores, as reduced metallurgical treatment (comminution) of the ore is required in order to extract an equivalent amount of minerals when compared to milling. The significantly reduced processing costs are offset by the reduced yield of usually approximately 60-70%. The amount of overall environmental impact caused by heap leaching is often lower than more traditional techniques. It also requires less energy consumption to use this method, which many consider to be an environmental alternative.