Mining in the United States

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Mining in the United States has been active since the beginning of colonial times, but became a major industry in the 19th century with a number of new mineral discoveries causing a series of mining rushes. In 2015, the value of coal, metals, and industrial minerals mined in the United States was US$109.6 billion. 158,000 workers were directly employed by the mining industry. [1]

Contents

The mining industry has a number of impacts on communities, individuals and the environment. Mine safety incidents have been important parts of American occupational safety and health history. Mining has a number of environmental impacts. In the United States, issues like mountaintop removal, and acid mine drainage have widespread impacts on all parts of the environment. As of January 2020, the EPA lists 142 mines in the Superfund program. [2]

In 2019, the country was the 4th world producer of gold; [3] 5th largest world producer of copper; [4] 5th worldwide producer of platinum; [5] 10th worldwide producer of silver; [6] 2nd largest world producer of rhenium; [7] 2nd largest world producer of sulfur; [8] 3rd largest world producer of phosphate; [9] 3rd largest world producer of molybdenum; [10] 4th largest world producer of lead; [11] 4th largest world producer of zinc; [12] 5th worldwide producer of vanadium; [13] 9th largest world producer of iron ore; [14] 9th largest world producer of potash; [15] 12th largest world producer of cobalt; [16] 13th largest world producer of titanium; [17] world's largest producer of gypsum; [18] 2nd largest world producer of kyanite; [19] 2nd largest world producer of limestone; [20] in addition to being the 2nd largest world producer of salt. [21] It was the world's 10th largest producer of uranium in 2018. [22]

History

The extraction of minerals from the Earth dates back to the Ancient Egyptians' mining of copper in 3000 BCE. [23] Mining for ancient civilizations was often extremely dangerous involving the use of stone tools or hands for excavation. [23] By the Middle Ages, stone tools were replaced by explosives, black powder, to break-up larger rock formations. [23] Colonists in the United States found iron ore at the Jamestown settlement which resulted in a mining operation beginning in 1620; however, the operation was cut short due to the presence of Native Americans at the site. [24]   Despite several small mining endeavors beginning in the 17th and 18th centuries, mining did not gain major traction in the United States until the 19th century. [23] In terms of technology, explosives such as black powder were phased out as dynamite increased in popularity as a new mining method in the 19th century. [23] The California Gold Rush began in 1848 after the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in 1848. By the year 1849, over 80,000 people had relocated to California in search of gold. [25] Eventually, the Gold Rush peaked in 1852 and concluded by the early 1900s. [25]

See also:

Mining by commodity

Top Commodities mined in the US, 2019

RankCommodityValue, US$ billion
1Coal25.1
2Crushed rock18.7
3Cement12.5
4Gold9.0
5Construction sand and gravel9.0
6Copper7.9
7Industrial sand and gravel5.7
8Iron ore5.4
Source: US Geological Survey, Mineral Commodities Summaries, 2020. [26]

Mining by mineral

Mining by state

Mining accidents

Non-coal mining fatalities in the United States, 1911-2014 (data from US Department of Labor) Non-Coal Mining Deaths - US.png
Non-coal mining fatalities in the United States, 1911-2014 (data from US Department of Labor)

From 1880 to 1910, mine accidents claimed thousands of fatalities, with more than 3,000 in 1907 alone. [27] Where annual mining deaths had numbered more than 1,000 a year during the early part of the 20th century, they decreased to an average of about 500 during the late 1950s, and to 93 during the 1990s. [28] In addition to deaths, many thousands more are injured (an average of 21,351 injuries per year between 1991 and 1999), but overall there has been a downward trend of deaths and injuries.

The Monongah Mining Disaster was the worst mining accident of American history; 362 workers were killed in an underground explosion on December 6, 1907, in Monongah, West Virginia. The U.S. Bureau of Mines was created in 1910 to investigate accidents, advise industry, conduct production and safety research, and teach courses in accident prevention, first aid, and mine rescue. The Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Acts of 1969 and 1977 set further safety standards for the industry.

In 1959, the Knox Mine Disaster occurred in Port Griffith, Pennsylvania. The swelling Susquehanna river collapsed into a mine under it and resulted in 12 deaths. In Plymouth, Pennsylvania, the Avondale Mine Disaster resulted in the deaths of 108 miners and two rescue workers after a fire in the only shaft eliminated the oxygen in the mine. Federal laws for mining safety ensued this disaster. Pennsylvania suffered another disaster in 2002 at Quecreek, 9 miners were trapped underground and subsequently rescued after 78 hours. During 2006, 72 miners lost their lives at work, 47 by coal mining. The majority of these fatalities occurred in Kentucky and West Virginia, including the Sago Mine Disaster. [29] [30] On April 5, 2010, in the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster an underground explosion caused the deaths of 29 miners.

Environmental impact

Mining has environmental impacts at many stages in the process and production of mining. In the United States, many different regions in the United States have environmental challenges caused by either historical or current mining.

Mountain top removal

This section is an excerpt from Mountaintop removal mining.[ edit ]
Mountaintop removal site MTR1.jpg
Mountaintop removal site
Mountaintop removal site in Pike County, Kentucky Mountaintop removal mine in Pike County, Kentucky.jpg
Mountaintop removal site in Pike County, Kentucky

Mountaintop removal mining (MTR), also known as mountaintop mining (MTM), is a form of surface mining at the summit or summit ridge of a mountain. Coal seams are extracted from a mountain by removing the land, or overburden, above the seams. This process is considered to be safer compared to underground mining because the coal seams are accessed from above instead of underground. In the United States, this method of coal mining is conducted in the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States. Explosives are used to remove up to 400 vertical feet (120 m) of mountain to expose underlying coal seams. Excess rock and soil is dumped into nearby valleys, in what are called "holler fills" ("hollow fills") or "valley fills". [31] [32] [33]

The practice of MTM has been controversial. While there are economic benefits to this practice, there are also concerns for environmental and human health costs.  

Abandoned mines

There are tens of thousands of abandoned mines in the United States. Many abandoned mines pose environmental challenges, such as acid mine drainage. In Colorado alone, there are 18,382 abandoned mines. [34] The United States has had many different environmental disasters caused by these mines, such as the 2015 Gold King Mine waste water spill. Many Superfund sites are mines. As of January 2020. the EPA lists 142 mines in the Superfund program [2]

Water pollution

Fresh water is used in the mining process for the extraction of minerals like coal and the processing of ore. [35] After the water has cycled through the mining process, it is discharged as effluent. The effluent or drainage is acidic due to the presence of sulfuric acid. Acid-rich water drainage can lead to environmental implications including contaminated drinking water and disruption of aquatic environments near the mining site. [36] In addition to the detrimental effects caused by mining drainage, the mining process is responsible for depleting groundwater supplies. The Santa Cruz River basin is being dried to support a copper mine in Arizona. [37]

Land degradation

44% of mining facilities in the United States are located in forests. Large-scale mining in areas of Latin America, like Brazil, release pollutants detrimental to neighboring rainforests. [38] Copper mining efforts in the Carajas Mineral Province in Brazil result in 6,100 km of deforestation every year. [38] Mining also results in a loss of biodiversity. Deforestation as well as the release of toxic chemicals to both the air and water can affect neighboring plant and animal life. [39] 40% of all global mines are located in areas of increased biodiversity that have experienced decline in species population due to surrounding industry. [40] Chemicals used in the mining process also result in soil erosion that strips the land of essential nutrients affecting surrounding plant and animal life. [40]

Controversies

Mines are often controversial in their local areas, with local residents split by those in favor particularly due to the economic impact of new jobs and those concerned by the environmental impact and occupational hazards. In the case of the proposed Crandon mine, the U.S. Supreme Court found that tribes have the right to regulate water and air, which destroyed the economic feasibility of the project. [41]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mining</span> Extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth

Mining is the extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agricultural processes, or feasibly created artificially in a laboratory or factory. Ores recovered by mining include metals, coal, oil shale, gemstones, limestone, chalk, dimension stone, rock salt, potash, gravel, and clay. The ore must be a rock or mineral that contains valuable constituent, can be extracted or mined and sold for profit. Mining in a wider sense includes extraction of any non-renewable resource such as petroleum, natural gas, or even water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coal mining</span> Process of getting coal out of the ground

Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United Kingdom and South Africa, a coal mine and its structures are a colliery, a coal mine is called a "pit", and above-ground mining structures are referred to as a "pit head". In Australia, "colliery" generally refers to an underground coal mine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tailings</span> Materials left over from the separation of valuable minerals from ore

In mining, tailings or tails are the materials left over after the process of separating the valuable fraction from the uneconomic fraction (gangue) of an ore. Tailings are different from overburden, which is the waste rock or other material that overlies an ore or mineral body and is displaced during mining without being processed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mountaintop removal mining</span> Type of surface mining

Mountaintop removal mining (MTR), also known as mountaintop mining (MTM), is a form of surface mining at the summit or summit ridge of a mountain. Coal seams are extracted from a mountain by removing the land, or overburden, above the seams. This process is considered to be safer compared to underground mining because the coal seams are accessed from above instead of underground. In the United States, this method of coal mining is conducted in the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States. Explosives are used to remove up to 400 vertical feet of mountain to expose underlying coal seams. Excess rock and soil is dumped into nearby valleys, in what are called "holler fills" or "valley fills".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surface mining</span> Type of mining in which the soil/rock above mineral deposits is removed

Surface mining, including strip mining, open-pit mining and mountaintop removal mining, is a broad category of mining in which soil and rock overlying the mineral deposit are removed, in contrast to underground mining, in which the overlying rock is left in place, and the mineral is removed through shafts or tunnels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massey Energy</span>

Massey Energy Company was a coal extractor in the United States with substantial operations in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia. By revenue, it was the fourth largest producer of coal in the United States and the largest coal producer in Central Appalachia. By coal production weight, it was the sixth largest producer of coal in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mining in Australia</span> Primary sector industry

Mining in Australia has long been a significant primary sector industry and contributor to the Australian economy by providing export income, royalty payments and employment. Historically, mining booms have also encouraged population growth via immigration to Australia, particularly the gold rushes of the 1850s. Many different ores, gems and minerals have been mined in the past and a wide variety are still mined throughout the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mining in Western Australia</span>

Mining in Western Australia, together with the petroleum industry in the state, accounted for 94% of the State's and 46% of Australia's income from total merchandise exports in 2019–20. The state of Western Australia hosted 123 predominantly higher-value and export-oriented mining projects and hundreds of smaller quarries and mines. The principal projects produced more than 99 per cent of the industry's total sales value.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mining in Brazil</span> Major industry in Brazil, South America

Mining in Brazil is centered on the extraction of iron, copper, gold, aluminum, manganese, tin, niobium, and nickel. About gemstones, Brazil is the world's largest producer of amethyst, topaz, agate and is a big producer of tourmaline, emerald, aquamarine, garnet and opal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mining industry of South Africa</span>

Mining in South Africa was once the main driving force behind the history and development of Africa's most advanced and richest economy. Large-scale and profitable mining started with the discovery of a diamond on the banks of the Orange River in 1867 by Erasmus Jacobs and the subsequent discovery of the Kimberley pipes a few years later. Gold rushes to Pilgrim's Rest and Barberton were precursors to the biggest discovery of all, the Main Reef/Main Reef Leader on Gerhardus Oosthuizen's farm Langlaagte, Portion C, in 1886, which kicked off the Witwatersrand Gold Rush and the subsequent rapid development of the gold field there.

Arch Resources, previously known as Arch Coal, is an American coal mining and processing company. The company mines, processes, and markets bituminous and sub-bituminous coal with low sulfur content in the United States. Arch Resources is the second-largest supplier of coal in the United States, behind Peabody Energy. As of 2011 the company supplied 15% of the domestic market. Demand comes mainly from generators of electricity.

Gold mining in Alaska, a state of the United States, has been a major industry and impetus for exploration and settlement since a few years after the United States acquired the territory in 1867 from the Russian Empire. Russian explorers discovered placer gold in the Kenai River in 1848, but no gold was produced. Gold mining started in 1870 from placers southeast of Juneau, Alaska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Health and environmental impact of the coal industry</span>

The health and environmental impact of the coal industry includes issues such as land use, waste management, water and air pollution, caused by the coal mining, processing and the use of its products. In addition to atmospheric pollution, coal burning produces hundreds of millions of tons of solid waste products annually, including fly ash, bottom ash, and flue-gas desulfurization sludge, that contain mercury, uranium, thorium, arsenic, and other heavy metals. Coal is the largest contributor to the human-made increase of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental issues in the United States</span>

Environmental issues in the United States include climate change, energy, species conservation, invasive species, deforestation, mining, nuclear accidents, pesticides, pollution, waste and over-population. Despite taking hundreds of measures, the rate of environmental issues is increasing rapidly instead of reducing. The United States is among the most significant emitters of greenhouse gasses in the world. In terms of both total and per capita emissions, it is among the largest contributors. The climate policy of the United States has a major influence on the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mining industry of Botswana</span> Overview of the mining industry in Botswana

The mining industry of Botswana has dominated the national economy of Botswana since the 1970s, being a primary sector industry. Diamond has been the leading component of the mineral sector ever since production of gems started being extracted by the mining company Debswana. Most of Botswana's diamond production is of gem quality, resulting in the country's position as the world's leading producer of diamond by value. Copper, gold, nickel, coal and soda ash production also has held significant, though smaller, roles in the economy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of mining</span> Overview of and topical guide to mining

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to mining:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mining in New Zealand</span>

Mining in New Zealand began when the Māori quarried rock such as argillite in times prior to European colonisation. Mining by Europeans began in the latter half of the 19th century.

According to a survey completed by the Colorado Geological Survey between 1991 and 1999, the number of abandoned mines in Colorado is 18,382. The Arkansas Headwaters, Las Animas River, Rio Grande Headwaters, Alamosa, and Uncompahgre were the priority watersheds studied in this survey. In the survey, analysis was completed with Environmental Degradation Measures ranging from none to extreme. Results showed 26 abandoned mines with extreme degradation and mineral hazards, 219 with significant degradation, and 672 potentially significant hazards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental justice and coal mining in Appalachia</span>

Environmental justice and coal mining in Appalachia is the study of environmental justice – the interdisciplinary body of social science literature studying theories of the environment and justice; environmental laws, policies, and their implementations and enforcement; development and sustainability; and political ecology – in relation to coal mining in Appalachia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mining in Canada</span> Overview of the mining industry in Canada

Mining has been conducted on an industrial scale in present-day Canada since the late 18th century. The industry remains an important aspect of the economy of Canada to this day, particularly in the North, and Canadian-domiciled mining companies have increasingly expanded their operations globally.

References

  1. ↑ US Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2016.
  2. 1 2 US EPA, OLEM (2015-05-27). "Abandoned Mine Lands: Site Information". US EPA. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  3. ↑ "USGS Gold Production Statistics" (PDF).
  4. ↑ "USGS Copper Production Statistics" (PDF).
  5. ↑ "USGS Platinum Production Statistics" (PDF).
  6. ↑ "USGS Silver Production Statistics" (PDF).
  7. ↑ "USGS Rhenium Production Statistics" (PDF).
  8. ↑ "USGS Sulfur Production Statistics" (PDF).
  9. ↑ "USGS Phosphate Production Statistics" (PDF).
  10. ↑ "USGS Molybdenum Production Statistics" (PDF).
  11. ↑ "USGS Lead Production Statistics" (PDF).
  12. ↑ "USGS Zinc Production Statistics" (PDF).
  13. ↑ "USGS Vanadinum Production Statistics" (PDF).
  14. ↑ "USGS Iron Ore Production Statistics" (PDF).
  15. ↑ "USGS Potash Production Statistics" (PDF).
  16. ↑ "USGS Cobalt Production Statistics" (PDF).
  17. ↑ "USGS Titanium Production Statistics" (PDF).
  18. ↑ "USGS Gypsum Production Statistics" (PDF).
  19. ↑ "USGS Kyanite Production Statistics" (PDF).
  20. ↑ "USGS Lime Production Statistics" (PDF).
  21. ↑ "USGS Salt Production Statistics" (PDF).
  22. ↑ "- World Nuclear Association". world-nuclear.org.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 Kinematics, General (2019-05-23). "Brief History of Mining & Advancement of Mining Technology". General Kinematics. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  24. ↑ "Mining History in the United States – Legends of America". www.legendsofamerica.com. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  25. 1 2 "California Gold Rush | Definition, History, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  26. ↑ Mineral Commodity Summaries 2020 (PDF). Reston, Virginia: US Geological Survey. 31 January 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  27. ↑ Minerals Yearbook, Volume 3. Washington DC: US Bureau of Mines. 1995. p. 7. ISBN   978-1345966411 . Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  28. ↑ Historical Data on Mine Disasters in the United States Archived 2016-02-10 at the Wayback Machine U.S. Department of Labor
  29. ↑ All Mining Fatalities By State Archived 2007-04-18 at the Wayback Machine U.S. Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration, 15 January 2007
  30. ↑ Coal Fatalities By State Archived 2007-02-21 at the Wayback Machine U.S. Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration, 15 January 2007
  31. ↑ "Appeals Court Upholds Mountaintop Removal Mining". www.ens-newswire.com. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  32. ↑ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Mountaintop Mining/Valley Fills in Appalachia: Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement," issued 2005 June 25, available at http://www.epa.gov/region03/mtntop/index.htm (accessed 2006 August 20).
  33. ↑ "Mountaintop Mining and Valley Fills in Appalachia (MTM/VF) - Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement" . Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  34. ↑ Sares, Matthew A.; Gusey, Daryl L.; Neubert, John T. (1999). "Abandoned Mines and Naturally Occurring Acid Rock Drainage on National Forest System Lands in Colorado" (PDF). www.coloradogeologicalsurvey.org. Colorado Geological Survey. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  35. ↑ "Mining Water Use | U.S. Geological Survey". www.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  36. ↑ "Mining and Water Quality | U.S. Geological Survey". www.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  37. ↑ "Mining and Water Pollution". Safe Drinking Water Foundation. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  38. 1 2 Farmer, Matt (2021-03-22). "Mining and deforestation: the unheeded industry challenge?". Mining Technology. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  39. ↑ "Addressing biodiversity impacts from mining: Progress made and opportunities to act at COP15 - Forest Declaration". 2022-12-07. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  40. 1 2 "Spotlight on biodiversity risk and opportunity in the mining sector – United Nations Environment – Finance Initiative" . Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  41. ↑ Bergquist, Lee. 2002. "Decision puts water quality in tribe's hands; Sokaogon can set standard near mine." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 6/4/2002, 1A.

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