Mining & Reclamation
New York is rich in minerals which are mined for industrial and construction uses. Sand and gravel mines are found throughout the state -- about 90 percent of the state's 2,200 active mines extract sand and gravel. Metal ores and gem minerals, such as garnet, are mined chiefly in mountainous regions. Salt is extracted from rich deposits in Central New York. Since the enactment of the mined land reclamation law in 1975, some 4,800 mines have received state permits.
Mining is a $1.5 billion industry in New York State -- New York is among the top third in the nation in value of minerals produced. The Division of Mineral Resources carries out the important responsibilities of protecting the environment when minerals are extracted, and of seeing to it that the land is restored when mining is complete.
In New York, regulated mining operations have an approved mining plan that specifies how mining will take place, and an approved reclamation plan that provided for return to productive use. Financial security submitted by the mining permit applicant ensures that the land will be reclaimed. Since the state Mined Land Reclamation Law was enacted in 1975, more than 2,500 mines have been reclaimed, most of these by the mine operators. In the small number of cases where the operators have defaulted on their obligation to reclaim, DEC has seized the financial security and used it to carry out the reclamation.
Today, sites in New York State that were once mined are used as farms, wetlands, wildlife habitats, residential developments and public recreation areas. Mined land reclamation is an environmental success story in New York.
Contact us for inquires about mining.
More about Mining & Reclamation:
- Protecting And Reclaiming Mined Land - The Mined Land Reclamation Law requires miners to return lands affected by mineral extraction to productive condition.
- Mining In New York State - New York State ranks in or near the top third of the states in the value of its mineral production. New York's mineral resources make a substantial contribution to the state's total economy. Almost 90 percent of the mining in New York involves the excavation of sand, gravel, and limestone. These minerals are often processed through screens and crushers and used in concrete, blacktop, roadfill, and other construction projects.
- Mined Land Reclamation Permit - Quick Links for Mined Land Permits
- Bluestone Exploration and Mining - Bluestone mining in New York State
- Mining Guidance and Policies - Information about Mined Land Program
- Data and Statistics on New York's Mining Resources - Online statistics on mining in New York
- New York State Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources 2006 Annual Report - New York Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources Annual Reports
- Mined Land Reclamation Presentations - Abstracts of articles and talks presented by Mined Land Reclamation technical staff.
- Mined Land Reclamation Information For Students And Teachers - Mined Land Reclamation Information For Students And Teachers
- Awards To New York Mines - Visit these NY mining companies to see how they have reclaimed mined land in innovative ways making them eligible to win their awards. Mining is regulated by the DEC Division of Mineral Resources
