Mining is the largest source of uranium contamination in the environment. Uranium milling creates radioactive waste in the form of tailings, which contain uranium, radium, and polonium. Consequently, uranium mining results in "the unavoidable radioactive contamination of the environment by solid, liquid and gaseous wastes".
Seventy percent of global uranium resources are on or adjacent to traditional lands belonging to Indigenous people, and perceived environmental risks associated with uranium mining have resulted in environmental conflicts involving multiple actors wherein local campaigns become national or international debates.
Some of these environmental conflicts have limited uranium exploration. Incidents at Ranger uranium mine in the Northern Territory of Australia and disputes over Indigenous land rights led to increased opposition to development of the nearby Jabiluka deposits and suspension of that project in the early 2000s. Similarly, environmental damage from Uranium mining on traditional Navajo lands in the southwestern United States resulted in restrictions on additional mining in Navajo lands in 2005.