Tailings and Mine Waste 2008 is the next of a series of symposia on mill tailings management started at Colorado State University in 1978. The primary purpose of the Conference is to provide a forum for members of the mining community, engineers and scientists serving the mining industry, regulatory groups, and other interest groups concerned with environmental issues related to tailings and mine waste management. Issues of environmental science and engineering, geochemistry, geotechnics, hydrogeology, milling, mining, mining engineering, tailings management, and other topics related to tailings and mine waste will be covered in focused sessions.