Mining in the United States

The US has a long history of mining that even pre-dates the country's split from Britain. The coal industry, for instance, dates back to 1,000 AD when the Hopi Indians, living in what is now Arizona, used coal to bake pottery made from clay.

The United States produces a wide variety of commodities from gold to coal. It has a land area of over 9.6 million square kilometers, 19,924 kilometers of coastline, and a population of over 298 million people. It is the world's second largest producer of copper and gold, exports over US$26 billion worth of minerals and material produced from minerals each year and its mining industry employs over 3 million people directly and indirectly. It is a significant silver, lead, zinc, molybdenum and coal producer. The U.S. is the world's largest producer of clay, copper, gypsum, lithium, magnesium, phosphate, salt, silica and sulfur. Overall the U. S. produces 78 major commodities. Nearly 270,000 people work directly in mining throughout the United States. It produces nearly all major metals, except manganese and titanium. Most of the USA’s major mines have experienced a drop in production as a result of the global commodity price drops and most companies cut back their exploration programs to focus on areas proximal to current mining operations.

Although millions of carats of diamonds are consumed each year in the United States, only a few hundred carats are domestically produced. The only active diamond mine in the country is the Crater of Diamonds Mine near Murfreesboro, Pike County, Arkansas.

Copper mining has been a major industry in the United States since the rise of the northern Michigan copper district in the 1840s. In 2009, domestic mine production in the United States was valued at approximately $6.2 billion. The principal mining States, in order of descending production, are Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada and Montana. The mines in these States together accounted for more than 99 percent of domestic production; the remaining 1 percent came from copper mines in Idaho and Missouri. Although 90 percent of the country's coal reserves are concentrated in 10 states, coal in mined in 27 states and can be found in even more. Montana has the most coal, 25 percent of demonstrated reserves. Wyoming, third among states with the most coal, is first in coal output, accounting for 18 percent of annual production.

The USA’s environmental agencies have been placing increasing pressure on mining and exploration companies. Mining companies have been blamed for releasing excessive amounts of pollutants into the air and water which has caused considerable public response. As a result, future exploration and development projects in the USA are required to address a list of environmental issues prior to each stage of the development process. The additional financial burden placed on companies has resulted in the curtailment of several potential mining projects.

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