 Mining
 Related
Profiles of
Professionals
Industry
Overview
Mining has played an important role in the development of the United
States. In the past, the discovery of minerals such as gold and silver
resulted in population shifts and economic growth. Extraction of
minerals and coal continues to provide the foundation for local
economies in some parts of the country. Products of this industry are
used as inputs for consumer goods, processes, and services provided by
all other industries, including agriculture, manufacturing,
transportation, utilities, communication, and construction. Uses of
mined materials include coal for energy, copper for wiring, gold for
satellites and sophisticated electronic components, and a variety of
other minerals as ingredients in medicines and household products.
 Besides
mining coal and metallic and nonmetallic minerals, employers in this
industry explore for minerals and develop new mines and quarries.
Metallic minerals include ores, such as bauxite -- from which aluminum
is extracted -- copper, gold, iron, lead, silver, and zinc. Nonmetallic
minerals include stone, sand, gravel, clay, and other minerals such as
lime and soda ash, used as chemicals and fertilizers. This industry also
includes initial mineral processing and preparation activities, because
processing plants usually operate together with mines or quarries as
part of the extraction process. Oil and gas
extraction are covered separately on the Sloan Career Cornerstone
Center.
Mining is the process
of digging into the earth to extract naturally occurring minerals. There
are two kinds of mining, surface mining and underground mining. Surface
mining, also called open-pit mining or strip mining, is undertaken if
the mineral is near the earth's surface. This method usually is more
cost-effective and requires fewer workers to produce the same quantity
of ore than does underground mining. In surface mining, after blasting
with explosives, workers use huge earthmoving equipment, such as power
shovels or draglines, to scoop off the layers of soil and rock covering
the mineral bed. Once the mineral is exposed, smaller shovels are used
to lift it from the ground and load it into trucks. The mineral also can
be broken up using explosives, if necessary. In quarrying operations,
workers use machines to extract stone used primarily as a building
material. Stone, such as marble, granite, limestone, and sandstone, is
quarried by splitting blocks of rock from a massive rock surface.
 Underground
mining is used when the mineral deposit lies deep below the surface of
the earth. When developing an underground mine, miners first must dig
two or more openings, or tunnels, deep into the earth near the place
where they believe coal or minerals are located. Depending on where the
vein of ore is in relation to the surface, tunnels may be vertical,
horizontal, or sloping. One opening allows the miners to move in and out
of the mine with their tools and also serves as a path for transporting
the mined rock by small railroad cars or by conveyor belts to the
surface. The other opening is used for ventilation.
Entries are
constructed so that miners can get themselves and their equipment to the
ore and carry it out, while allowing fresh air to enter the mine. Once
dug to the proper depth, a mine's tunnels interconnect with a network of
passageways going in many directions. Long steel bolts and pillars of
unmined ore support the roof of the tunnel. Using the room-and-pillar
method, miners remove half of the ore as they work the ore seams from
the tunnel entrance to the edge of the mine property, leaving columns of
ore to support the ceiling. This process is then reversed, and the
remainder of the ore is extracted, as the miners work their way back
out. In the case of longwall mining of coal, self-advancing roof
supports, made of hydraulic jacks and metal plates, are moved ahead,
allowing the ceiling in the mined area to cave in as the miners work
back towards the tunnel entrance.
 Once
all the minerals or coal have been extracted, the mine and its
surrounding environment must be restored to the condition that existed
before mining began. In surface mining, the layers of topsoil, or
overburden, that were removed in order to reach the mineral are used to
fill in the mine and reshape the land. This ensures that native plants
and animals will be able to thrive once again. Underground mining does
not require as extensive a reclamation process; however, mine operators
and environmental engineers still must ensure that ground water remains
uncontaminated and that abandoned mines will not collapse. The
reclamation process is highly regulated by Federal, State, and local
laws, and reclamation plans often must be approved before mining permits
will be granted.
During the 1990s,
production of both minerals and coal increased. Given the more volatile
price of metal, its production fluctuated more than that of nonmetallics.
However, employment in both sectors declined significantly as new
technology and more sophisticated mining techniques increased
productivity, allowing growth in output while employing fewer workers.
Most mining machines and control rooms are now automatic or
computer-controlled, requiring fewer, if any, human operators. Many
mines also operate with other sophisticated technology such as lasers
and robotics, which further decrease the number of workers needed to
mine materials.
Working
Environment
 The
average production worker in the mining industry worked 45.8 hours a
week in 2004, although schedules can vary widely. Some mines operate 24
hours a day 7 days a week, creating the opportunity for some mining
workers to work long shifts several days in a row, then have 4 to 5 days
off. Work environments vary by occupation. Scientists and technicians
work in office buildings and laboratories, while miners and mining
engineers spend much of their time in the mine.
Geologists who
specialize in the exploration of natural resources may have to travel
for extended periods to remote locations, in all types of climates, in
order to locate mineral or coal deposits.
Employment
 There
were approximately 207,000 wage and salary jobs in the mining industry
in 2004; around 72,000 in coal mining; 27,000 in metal mining; and
108,000 in nonmetallic mineral mining. According to the Energy
Information Administration, there were around 1,400 coal mining
operations in 26 States in 2003. Over half of all coal mines are in
three States -- Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Other States
employing large numbers of coal miners are Alabama, Illinois, Indiana,
Virginia, and Wyoming. Metal mining is more prevalent in the West and
Southwest, particularly in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and
Utah. Nonmetallic mineral mining is the most widespread, as quarrying of
nonmetallic minerals, such as stone, clay, sand, and gravel, is done in
nearly every State. In many rural areas, mining operations are the main
employer. About 73 percent of mining establishments employ fewer than 20
workers.
Degree
Paths into this Industry
The majority of jobs in the mining industry are in construction and
extraction occupations. Management, business, and financial and
professional and related occupations also are important to the mining
industry. Administrative workers include top executives, who are
responsible for making policy decisions. Staff specialists (such as
accountants, attorneys, and market researchers) provide information and
advice for policymakers.
 Professional
and related workers in mining include engineering, scientific, and
technical personnel. Environmental scientists and geoscientists search
for locations likely to yield coal or mineral ores in sufficient
quantity to justify extraction costs. Using sophisticated technologies
and equipment, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) -- a
satellite system that locates points on the earth using radio signals
transmitted by satellites -- surveyors help to map areas for mining.
Mining and geological engineers examine seams for depth and purity,
determine the type of mine to build, and supervise the construction,
maintenance, and operation of mines. Mechanical engineers oversee the
installation of equipment, such as heat and water systems; electrical
engineers oversee the installation and maintenance of electrical
equipment; civil engineers oversee the building and construction of
minesites, plants, roads, and other infrastructure; safety engineers
direct health and safety programs; chemical engineers develop the
chemical processes for transforming mined products into consumer goods,
such as medications and fertilizers; and materials engineers determine
the usefulness of mined ore and also develop processes for transforming
the minerals into products.
Environmental
engineers play an increasingly important role in mining, given
environmental concerns and stringent Federal, State, and local
regulations imposed on all operations. Restrictions imposed by
environmental regulations make obtaining permits for new mine
development projects increasingly difficult. Mine owners and operators
face substantial penalties should they fail to abide by current
regulations. In addition, both Federal regulations, such as the Surface
Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA), and State laws require that
land reclamation be part of the mining process. Reclamation plans
usually must be approved by both government officials and local interest
groups. When a mining operation is closed, the land must be restored to
its premine condition, which can include anything from leveling soil and
removing waste to replanting vegetation.
 Exploration,
mine design, impact assessment, and restoration efforts can depend on
computer analysis. In addition, rapid technological advancements,
particularly in processing-plant operations, are the result of increased
computerization. This has led to a growing reliance on computer
professionals, such as systems analysts, computer software engineers,
and computer scientists.
Industry
Forecast
Wage and salary employment in mining is expected to decline by 13
percent through the year 2014, compared with 14 percent growth projected
for the entire economy. This continuing long-term decline is due to
increased productivity resulting from technological advances in mining
operations and larger mining equipment, consolidation, international
competition, and stringent environmental regulations. Employment is
expected to decline substantially in coal and metal ore mining, but only
slightly in nonmetallic mineral mining.
Environmental concerns
will continue to affect mining operations. Increasingly, government
regulations are restricting access to land and restricting the type of
mining that is performed in order to protect native plants and animals
and decrease the amount of water and air pollution. As population growth
expands further into the countryside, new developments are competing for
land with mine operators, and residents are increasing their opposition
to nearby mining activities.
The products of the
coal mining industry are used to produce electricity and steel products
so demand for coal should remain high. Although production of coal is
expected to increase, employment will decline by about 23 percent
through 2014 as more efficient and automated production operations
require less labor. Increased competition should lead to further
consolidation in the industry.
As in coal mining,
continuing productivity increases and industry consolidation are
expected to cause employment in the metal ore mining industry to decline
through 2014. Because metals are used primarily as raw materials by
other industries, such as telecommunications and steel, chemical, drug,
aerospace, and automobile manufacturing, the strength of the metal ore
mining industry is greatly affected by the strength of the industries
that consume its products. Metal ore mining is also the sector most
vulnerable to international competition. Many nations have mineral
resources and, for some developing countries especially, mineral
resources are one of the few goods they export. However, increasing
worldwide demand for metals is causing metals prices to increase and
production to rise.
 Employment
in nonmetallic mineral mining should decline slightly -- 2 percent --
because of continued demand for crushed stone, cement, and gravel used
in construction activities. Like the metal mining industry, the
nonmetallic mineral mining industry is influenced by the strength of the
industries that use nonmetals in the manufacture of their products;
these are industries in which employment is impacted by swings in the
economy. Nonmetallic minerals are used to make concrete and agricultural
chemicals and also are used as materials in residential, nonresidential,
and maintenance construction. The nonmetallic mineral mining industry
experienced slight employment growth over the past decade, largely
attributable to construction.
Job opportunities for
professional workers, such as scientists and engineers, should be good
as many of these workers are also nearing retirement age.
Related
Degree Fields
Professional
Associations/Resources
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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