Abstract: A method of treating steel mill waste containing iron oxides and silica includes reacting the steel mill waste with an alkali aqueous solution in an amount sufficient to raise the pH to at least about 7 to solubilize silica to form soluble silicate compounds and silica gels and thereby produce a chemically reactive mixture. The mixture is reacted with an alkaline silicic compound to produce a solid, stable, non-polluting material.