Happy Miners Day!

The US Department of Labor Mine Safety and Health Administration, noted that each December 6th, “we celebrate National Miners Day to recognize and applaud the skill, dedication, and hard work miners put into providing many of the products essential to fulfilling America’s most vital needs.”

As we have mentioned many times in this blog, minerals are in almost every product inside and outside our homes — and in the phones we use to call our family and friends. Metals mining provides copper to our cabling and power systems, steel pipes to heat up our houses, metal alloy nails and tools to build our houses, the parts and structures of our appliances, and flatware to eat our meals. And cement, made with limestone and other minerals, was probably used for the very foundations of those houses in which we gather. Outside the house, there are planes, trains, and automobiles, among other things that need metals and minerals to carry us across the country and beyond.

The USGS reported that in 2023, the estimated total value of nonfuel mineral production in the US was $105 billion, $35 billion of which was construction sand and gravel and crushed stone. The value of domestic primary mine production of critical minerals — which are essential for modern technology — was over $4 billion.  Those minerals are vital for manufacturing products like batteries, solar panels, and electric vehicles.

This year, the CDC National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is recognizing the important roles women have played in coal mining through the years. “Women have been officially employed in underground coal mines since the 1970s. Today women make up around 5%–10% of the coal mining workforce,” the website noted.  “However, women’s roles may not be well-known since some people may envision coal miners as men wearing hard hats and dusty coveralls.”

And dust affects all. Air quality is a major concern for mining operations.  Whether it’s mineral dust, fugitive dust, natural radiation, or other harmful environmental pollutants, continuous air quality monitoring is crucial at mine sites.

This week we want to thank all those who are mining and processing the minerals we need for the products we use everyday.   Happy Miners Day!