Every year, dozens of people are injured or killed while exploring or playing on mine property. The campaign is a partnership made up of nearly 50 federal and state agencies, private organizations, businesses and individuals. These groups visit schools and communities nationwide to distribute educational materials and discuss the importance of mining and its existing hazards.
Mining is a fundamental component of the American economy.
Over half of the electricity generated in the United States comes from coal. Sand, gravel, limestone and other rock products are used in the construction industry. Salt keeps wintry roads free of ice. Gold, silver, iron, copper and many other minerals are essential to our national prosperity. Mines are located in every state from small sand and gravel operations to complex underground coal, salt, limestone or metal mines, to extensive surface operations that use some of the largest industrial equipment ever built.