GetWiki

{{Short description|none}}{{Economy of the United States sidebar}}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.US Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2016.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.WEB, Abandoned Mine Lands: Site Information,www.epa.gov/superfund/abandoned-mine-lands-site-information, US EPA, OLEM, 2015-05-27, US EPA, en, 2020-05-06, In 2019, the country was the 4th world producer of gold;USGS Gold Production Statistics 5th largest world producer of copper;USGS Copper Production Statistics 5th worldwide producer of platinum;USGS Platinum Production Statistics 10th worldwide producer of silver;USGS Silver Production Statistics 2nd largest world producer of rhenium;USGS Rhenium Production Statistics 2nd largest world producer of sulfur;USGS Sulfur Production Statistics 3rd largest world producer of phosphate;USGS Phosphate Production Statistics 3rd largest world producer of molybdenum;USGS Molybdenum Production Statistics 4th largest world producer of lead;USGS Lead Production Statistics 4th largest world producer of zinc;USGS Zinc Production Statistics 5th worldwide producer of vanadium;USGS Vanadinum Production Statistics 9th largest world producer of iron ore;USGS Iron Ore Production Statistics 9th largest world producer of potash;USGS Potash Production Statistics 12th largest world producer of cobalt;USGS Cobalt Production Statistics 13th largest world producer of titanium;USGS Titanium Production Statistics world’s largest producer of gypsum;USGS Gypsum Production Statistics 2nd largest world producer of kyanite;USGS Kyanite Production Statistics 2nd largest world producer of limestone;USGS Lime Production Statistics in addition to being the 2nd largest world producer of salt.USGS Salt Production Statistics It was the world’s 10th largest producer of uranium in 2018.World Uranium Mining

History

The extraction of minerals from the Earth dates back to the Ancient Egyptians’ mining of copper in 3000 BCE.WEB, Kinematics, General, 2019-05-23, Brief History of Mining & Advancement of Mining Technology,www.generalkinematics.com/blog/a-brief-history-of-mining-and-the-advancement-of-mining-technology/, 2023-04-21, General Kinematics, en-US, Mining for ancient civilizations was often extremely dangerous involving the use of stone tools or hands for excavation. By the Middle Ages, stone tools were replaced by explosives, black powder, to break-up larger rock formations. 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.WEB, Mining History in the United States – Legends of America,www.legendsofamerica.com/we-mininghistory/, 2023-04-21, www.legendsofamerica.com,   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. 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. 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.WEB, California Gold Rush {{!, Definition, History, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/California-Gold-Rush |access-date=2023-04-21 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}} Eventually, the Gold Rush peaked in 1852 and concluded by the early 1900s.See also:

• Carolina Gold Rush, Cabarrus County, North Carolina, US (1799)
• Georgia Gold Rush, Georgia, US (1828)
• California Gold Rush, California (1848–1855)
• Pikes Peak Gold Rush, Pikes Peak, Colorado (1859)
• Holcomb Valley Gold Rush, California (1860)
• Black Hills Gold Rush, Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming (1874–1878)
• Mount Baker Gold Rush, Whatcom County, Washington, United States (1897–1920s)
• Nome Gold Rush, Nome, Alaska (1899–1909)
• Fairbanks Gold Rush, Fairbanks, Alaska (1902–1905)

Mining by commodity

Top Commodities mined in the US, 2019 {| class=“wikitable sortable sortable” ! style="background:#DDDDFF;” | Rank! style="background:#DDDDFF;” | Commodity! style="background:#DDDDFF;” | Value, US$ billion

1	Coal	25.1

2	Crushed rock	18.7

3	Cement	12.5

4	Gold	9.0

5	Construction sand and gravel	9.0

6	Copper	7.9

7	Industrial sand and gravel	5.7

8	Iron ore	5.4

! colspan=3 style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 0.9em; text-align: left; padding: 6px 2px 4px 4px;” | Source: US Geological Survey, Mineral Commodities Summaries, 2020.BOOK, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2020, 31 January 2020, US Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia,pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2020/mcs2020.pdf, 14 June 2020,

Mining by mineral

• Bauxite mining in the United States
• Coal mining in the United States
• Copper mining in the United States
• Gold mining in the United States
• Iron mining in the United States
• Molybdenum mining in the United States
• Phosphate mining in the United States
• Silver mining in the United States
• Uranium mining in the United States
• Zinc mining in the United States

Mining by state

• (:Category:Mining in Alaska)
• (:Category:Mining in Arizona)
• (:Category:Mining in California)
• (:Category:Mining in Colorado)
• (:Category:Mining in Michigan)
• (:Category:Mining in Minnesota)
• (:Category:Mining in Nevada)
• (:Category:Mining in Pennsylvania)
• (:Category:Mining in Utah)
• (:Category:Mining in West Virginia)

Mining accidents

(File:Non-Coal Mining Deaths - US.png|thumb|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.BOOK, Minerals Yearbook, Volume 3, 1995, US Bureau of Mines, Washington DC, 978-1345966411, 7,books.google.com/books?id=fDP1-3aL4fsC&pg=PP7, 14 June 2020, 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.Historical Data on Mine Disasters in the United States {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160210095305www.msha.gov/MSHAINFO/FactSheets/MSHAFCT8.HTM |date=2016-02-10 }} U.S. Department of Labor 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.All Mining Fatalities By State {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070418180957www.msha.gov/stats/charts/allstatesnew.asp |date=2007-04-18 }} U.S. Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration, 15 January 2007Coal Fatalities By State {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070221005053www.msha.gov/stats/charts/coalbystate.asp |date=2007-02-21 }} U.S. Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration, 15 January 2007 On April 5, 2010, in the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster an underground explosion caused the deaths of 29 miners.

Environmental impact

{{Further|Environmental impact of mining}}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

{{Excerpt|Mountaintop removal mining}}

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.WEB, Abandoned Mines and Naturally Occurring Acid Rock Drainage on National Forest System Lands in Colorado,coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/USFS-ICARD2000-paper-Final1.pdf, Sares, Matthew A., Gusey, Daryl L., 1999, www.coloradogeologicalsurvey.org, Colorado Geological Survey, October 25, 2016, Neubert, John T., 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|2020|January}}. the EPA lists 142 mines in the Superfund program

Water pollution

Fresh water is used in the mining process for the extraction of minerals like coal and the processing of ore.WEB, Mining Water Use {{!, U.S. Geological Survey |url=https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources/science/mining-water-use |access-date=2023-04-21 |website=www.usgs.gov |language=en}} 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.WEB, Mining and Water Quality {{!, U.S. Geological Survey |url=https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/mining-and-water-quality |access-date=2023-04-21 |website=www.usgs.gov}} 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.WEB, Mining and Water Pollution,www.safewater.org/fact-sheets-1/2017/1/23/miningandwaterpollution, 2023-04-21, Safe Drinking Water Foundation, en-US,

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.WEB, Farmer, Matt, 2021-03-22, Mining and deforestation: the unheeded industry challenge?,www.mining-technology.com/features/mining-and-deforestation-the-unheeded-industry-challenge/, 2023-04-21, Mining Technology, en-US, Copper mining efforts in the Carajas Mineral Province in Brazil result in 6,100 km of deforestation every year. 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.WEB, 2022-12-07, Addressing biodiversity impacts from mining: Progress made and opportunities to act at COP15 - Forest Declaration,forestdeclaration.org/biodiversity-impacts-from-mining/, 2023-04-21, en-US, 40% of all global mines are located in areas of increased biodiversity that have experienced decline in species population due to surrounding industry.WEB, Spotlight on biodiversity risk and opportunity in the mining sector – United Nations Environment – Finance Initiative,www.unepfi.org/themes/ecosystems/spotlight-on-biodiversity-risk-and-opportunity-in-the-mining-sector/, 2023-04-21, en-GB, Chemicals used in the mining process also result in soil erosion that strips the land of essential nutrients affecting surrounding plant and animal life.

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.Bergquist, Lee. 2002. “Decision puts water quality in tribe’s hands; Sokaogon can set standard near mine.” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 6/4/2002, 1A.

See also

• List of mines in the United States
• Mine Safety and Health Administration
• United States Bureau of Mines
• Coal Wars
• Mine Owners’ Association
• National Mining Hall of Fame
• Environmental issues with mining
• North Bloomfield Mining and Gravel Company, a prosecution in 1884 led to the Sawyer Decision, among the first environmental decisions in the United States
• Mountaintop removalLegislation in the United States

References

{{Reflist}}{{North America topic|Mining in}}{{Americas topic|Mining in}}{{Economy of the United States}}{{United States topics}}{{World topic|Mining in|noredlinks=yes}}{{USGS}}{{Include-DOL}}