The American Mining Industry infuses the nation’s economy with an annual economic impact of over $500 billion while paying approximately $8 billion in taxes and over $14 billion in wages and benefits to miners and their families.

To sustain our standard of living, 47,000 pounds of newly mined material must be produced for every man, woman and child in the country each and every year. Consider the material used in the foundation of your house, the roads you travel and the energy you rely on. Even the computer you are using is made from some 30 different minerals.

Mining companies responsibly provide this vital service to our country while disturbing less than one quarter of one percent of land in the United States. Additionally, well over two million acres of mined lands in this country have been reclaimed and will be restored to their original condition or better.

Most importantly, the mining community has met the nation’s demand for minerals while remaining steadfast in its conviction that safety is a value. In 1977, congress mandated that “the first priority and concern of all in the coal or other mining industry must be the health and safety of its most precious resource—the miner.” Since that time, the mining industries have reduced fatalities by over 70%, and they have maintained a reportable accident rate well below the average for all American businesses.

The success in America is representative of a global trend toward responsibility in mining. People who earn a living in this industry form a unique community who willingly collaborate in an effort to work in the best interest of miners, our neighbors and the environment.

This practice specialty is an extension of that community. We strive to be a valued resource by our members and outside contacts for effective safety, health and environmental (SH&E) management practices in the mining industries.

Members of the Mining Practice Specialty benefit from networking with other SH&E professionals who have experience in many similar issues. This network provides real-world guidance and support for professionals who work as responsible stewards of our industry. Moreover, it serves as an excellent platform for those who wish to expand their involvement in promoting responsible mining.

At its core, the Mining Practice Specialty is a “big tent” group. There is immeasurable value in obtaining the viewpoint of coal miners, metal miners, non-metal miners, consultants, suppliers and others concerned with responsible mining. Therefore, the Mining Practice Specialty strives to be true to the open and supportive community our industry has worked so hard to foster.

For more information about the Mining Practice Specialty, contact Steven Boydston.

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