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. There are about 14,000 active and as many as 500,000 abandoned mines in the nation. As cities and towns spread into the surrounding countryside and more people visit remote locations, the possibility of contact with an active or abandoned mine increases. The men and women employed in our nation's mines are trained to work in a safe manner.