Spoil tip

A spoil tip is a big pile of dirt or rocks that are left over after people dig for things like coal, minerals, or oil in the ground. Imagine if you were digging in your sandbox and you found a really cool rock. You'd put it in your pile of special rocks, right? But what if you found a lot of cool rocks? You might make a big pile of rocks next to your sandbox.

That's kind of what happens with a spoil tip, except it's much bigger and involves heavy machinery. Workers use big machines to dig deep into the ground and remove things like coal. But there are other things in the ground that aren't useful, like dirt and rocks. When workers find these things, they put them in a special area next to the mine called a spoil tip.

Over time, the spoil tip can get really big and can even start to look like a hill. That's because the workers keep adding more and more dirt and rocks to the pile. Spoil tips can be a problem because they take up a lot of space and can even be dangerous. Sometimes they can collapse or catch on fire, which can harm the people and animals nearby.

That's why it's important for mining companies to properly manage spoil tips to prevent accidents and protect the environment. They might cover the spoil tip with grass or turn it into a park, or even find ways to use the extra rocks and dirt for things like construction. So, a spoil tip is kind of like a big pile of leftovers, but it's important to take care of it properly so that it doesn't cause any harm.