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Boring, but important: New use for taconite waste in the works

Old tailings from the LTV Taconite mine sit below
This field and lake are built on top of old tailings from the LTV Taconite mine as seen on Thursday, October 10, 2013 at Polymet near Aurora, Minn.. Plans are in the works that would cover this field with new tailings and waste rock from a new mining operation.
Derek Montgomery | For MPR News

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The U.S. spent $31.8 billion fixing roads in 2011. New research using mining waste from Minnesota might be able to reduce that hefty annual cost for taxpayers.

Taconite mining waste, known as tailings, has regularly been used as ballast in railroad beds.

But now, researcher Larry Zanko tells MPR News host Tom Weber about a potentially groundbreaking experiment underway on a road just outside of Anchorage, Alaska where taconite is helping to reduce wear, tear and maintenance costs.