Mines and mineral processing plants in the United States

Although minerals are vital to our way of life, many of us take them for granted.  Hundreds of the things that we do each day - from driving a car to watching television or working on a computer - depend on products made from minerals.  It takes about 3 tons of coal and 10 tons of nonfuel minerals, elements, and mineral products in the United States per person each year, just to maintain our lifestyle (U.S. Bureau of Mines, 1991).