Digging Into Mining In America
Mining has shaped communities globally across the span of history. The craft has been a source of great intrigue and aspiration yet often plagued with peril and controversy. It has been the success of some and the literal death of others. Ingrained deeply into the DNA of society's survival, mining has unassumingly played a centerstage role in the history of human culture and advancement in the world. The Mining History Association esteemed the craft to a fundamental place in civilization stating, "There are only 3 basic activities required to sustain civilization: Agriculture (food and products); Manufacturing (refine and produce useful tools and machinery needed by an advancing society); and Mining (to find and extract the metals [and minerals] used in manufacturing, and the tools (plows, tractors, etc.) used in agriculture)."
Mining is believed to have made its debut in the United States as early as the settlement of Jamestown. According to The First Charter of Virginia; April 10, 1606, mining minerals, copper, silver, and gold were thought to be a vital part of the future of the settlers at Jamestown. As it turns out, mining in Virginia influenced the search for more. Many historians and mining buffs go as far as to credit the mining roots in Jamestown as the inspiration and driving force of the western expansion.
The California Gold Rush
"Go West young man." Mining in the western expansion had its fair share of motivations, but also presented a glaring case for the necessity of mining. In 1848, the California Gold Rush put the pedal to the metal of the western expansion. The aroma of fortune, adventure, and a new start wafted over an estimation of nearly 300,000 daring souls. The mass migration to the west began with a spark of gold in the Sacramento valley and was capped off with a grand total of $2 Billion worth of precious metals. It is believed that 750,000 pounds of gold was mined during the rush. The California Gold Rush reached its climactic point in 1852.
Mixer Direct's Role In The American Mining Industry
Modern Day Mining
In 1932, Thomas Arthur Rickard penned "A History of American Mining". In the opening chapter, Rickard states, "The American mining industry is vigorous today because it is young." Now, 83 years older, things look a bit different. There is even talk of mining in outer space. It sounds far fetched, but an asteroid mining hearing was actually addressed by congress in September of 2014. Mining is still a crucial part of the United States. In the U.S. alone, roughly 40 percent of our electricity is generated by coal. The national mining association reports that, "Coal, in particular, has historically proven itself to be an affordable, reliable power source. It is essential to the U.S. economy, providing affordable electricity to households, businesses, manufacturing facilities, transportation and communications systems, and services throughout our economy." A variety of minerals also contribute to modern day America as well, contributing to everything from the Department of Defense, hybrid cars, and computer chips. American mining touches on too many industries to count. It is a vital part of what we might refer to as an "industrial ecosystem".
Mixer Direct and The Mining Industry
At Mixer Direct, we are proud to play a role in the American mining industry. The big picture of our role in this industry is environmental control. Our processes help mining companies to complete their process in a environmentally safe yet economical way. This includes processes for silt management (silt is a "fine sand, clay, or other material carried by running water and deposited as a sediment, especially in a channel or harbor") and safe disposal. One of the main ways this is seen is in the extraction of chemicals off of particles that are challenging to separate. Our equipment allows these to be dissolved and then re-precipitate them out. This process has been utilized in the industries of gold and uranium. In mining, safe disposal can often be an obstacle as well. Once the area has been mined, how does one go about safely disposing of what has been dug out? When disposal is handled incorrectly there are numerous amounts of difficulties to face. This includes landslides and variety of other issues. This is where a mixing process comes in handy. Using mixing equipment allows for major obstacles to be overcome with precise methods in the mining industry.