Courtesy of the Cibola County Historical Society
Most Americans probably have never seen a mine, except perhaps for a rock quarry or a gravel pit, yet mining touches everyone’s life. Consider, for example, how very different modern society would be without the automobile, telephone, cell phone and television… or the fuel and electricity to make them work, more than half of which is generated from coal, silver, gold, copper, and other minerals mined in the United States and foreign countries.
Few people realize that an automobile contains about 15 different mineral materials, a color TV set about 35 and a telephone and smart phone about 40.
Consider too… ENERGY, coal, oil and uranium fuel our cars, light our homes and provide heat and air conditioning for our comfort.
Beyond that, drilling oil wells and digging coal, manufacturing turbines and stringing transmission wires, collecting solar heat and cutting firewood with a saw – ALL REQUIRE MINERALS.
CONSTRUCTION, concrete for foundations and nails for shingles, plumbing and wiring, ducts and insulation, cranes and bulldozers – ALL REQUIRE MINERALS.
TRANSPORTATION, trucks and trains, cars and planes, subways and ships, bicycles and space shuttles, plus their roads and rails and runaways – ALL REQUIRE MINERALS.
NATIONAL DEFENSE, missiles and machine guns, helmets and submarines, tanks and field hospitals – ALL REQUIRE MINERALS.
COMMUNICATIONS, relay satellites and radio stations, paper mills and printing presses – ALL REQUIRE MINERALS.
We live in theAge of Technology. Preoccupation with the wonders of science tend to obscure the role of minerals, but they are just as necessary for the spaceships of today and the future as for the steam engines of the past. Whether we accept this information or not, minerals will always be our keystones of destiny.
The National Institute of Safety and Health (NIOSH), has identified health risks associated with mining both at underground and surface operations. One very important study began in 1950 regarding a study of uranium miners. The study went on to reveal that exposure to radon gas or its decay product, radon daughters in uranium mines provided strong evidence of an increased risk for lung cancer.
Mining is a really dangerous occupation. Everyone is in it for the money and as a consequence, serious injury and sometimes fatal accidents occur.
The same study revealed strong evidence for other lung diseases (not cancer), such as pneumoconiosis. This study includes many different lung diseases. This category includes silicosis and emphysema causing severe breathing problems.
Working underground and surface operations does not always mean excavating for cash profits. Take the NEVADA TEST SITE for example. The men and women stationed at this facility have an extraordinary task underground and on surface. The NTS has served the country as a national resource for almost half a century as a unique outdoor laboratory that cannot be duplicated.
It’s 1,350 square miles make it one of the largest secured areas in the United States. It’s vast size, remote, and secure location, varied terrain, dry climate, protected airspace, and comprehensive infrastructure of specialized personnel, roads, power, and buildings make it an excellent site for undertaking complex experimental programs, fielding specialized technologies, and conducting operational field exercises.
I have 23 years working in mining operations in Colorado and New Mexico. I also have 10 years working as a Certified Safety Engineer in Nuclear Weapons Operations at the Nevada Test Site and numerous laboratories.
NEXT TIME YOU MEETAPERSON WHO IS OR WAS A MINER, THANK HIM OR HER FOR YOUR CAR, TRUCK, CELL PHONE, TABLET, FURNACE OR AIR CONDITIONER.