This report looks at three examples of the application of the NPRI in the mining sector: the 2013 Obed Mountain coal mine spill in Alberta, the 2014 Mount Polley mine spill in British Columbia, and the Key Lake uranium mine and mill in Saskatchewan. These three cases show both some of the utility of the NPRI and some of its limitations in practical applications to support public interest research, policy development, and regulation. While having public, more or less accessible data on the quantities of potentially dangerous substances present in waste rock and tailings facilities can be very helpful in informing the public and ensuring that the appropriate safeguards are in place and appropriate responses can be deployed in case of a spill or failure, the fact that other materials or substances may be dumped in those facilities without being reported undermines this functionality. In addition, in the case of radionuclides, the absence of any reporting on disposals and transfers makes such crucial analyses and responses impossible, to the detriment of the public interest and the responsible regulation of the industry by any order of government.