Kongsberg Silver Mines
The silver mines of Kongsberg, in Buskerud county in Norway, constitute the largest mining field in Norway, with over 80 different mines. It was the largest pre-industrial working place in Norway, with over 4,000 workers at its peak in the 1770s and supplied over 10% of the gross national product of the Danish–Norwegian union during its 335-year-long history: over 450,000 man-years were expended in the production.
Uranium mining in Namibia
Bannerman Resources Ltd. has an 80% interest in the Etango project, which is located southwest of Rossing Mine, about east of Swakopmund. The Etango is considered to have the largest unexploited uranium resources in the world. The company is scheduled to start mining operations in 2013 and has predicted to produce between 2,300 and 3,200 per year of uranium oxide.The environmental impact of uranium mining in Namibia has raised concerns amongst environmentalists, especially as many mining activities are conducted within the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The highly acidic tailings dams found at Namibia's uranium mines are an environmental concern. Monitoring activities include: air, water, and dust quality; biodiversity; medical surveillance; occupational hazards; and radiation protection.