This publication presents the results of an investigation to determine the doses received by members of the public near large deposits of mineral residues containing radionuclides of natural origin. The key elements of the study were to consider the available information from examples of actual mineral residue deposits, including the results of any relevant dose assessments, and to use this information to define the input parameters for calculating the radiological impact of a representative mineral residue deposit containing two million cubic metres of material. The results were found to be consistent with those obtained for actual mineral residue deposits in various parts of the world and confirmed that, for a radionuclide activity concentration of 1 Bq/g in the residue, the annual dose to the most exposed individual would not exceed a small fraction of 1 mSv.