Summary of Mining Plans of Operation in Utah.
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Currently on file with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are 247 mining plans and notices filed by 52 companies and 33 individuals, encompassing a total estimated area of 4,498 acres of BLM-managed public land in Utah. These plans and notices are filed on public land laden with gold, silver, copper and other precious metals and minerals worth billions of dollars. And these operations are only those on BLM lands, not on Forest Service lands, for which mining plans and notices are not entered into the government's LR2000 database that forms the backbone of this site. But whether the mines are on BLM or Forest Service land, none of the corporate revenue is reimbursed to the public. Instead, companies leave behind unfathomable amounts of waste. In 2001 alone, the industry dumped enough mercury nationally to fill a billion thermometers and arsenic in quantities that would pollute all public drinking water supplies for 350 years. In 2001, mines generated 45 percent of all pollution reported in the U.S. while accounting for just 0.36 percent of all industrial facilities.
| Quick facts about mining plans on BLM land in Utah |
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• Acres of U.S. public land (BLM land only) under mining plans and notices, estimated: 4,498 • Pollution from all US mining operations, ranking among all U.S. industries: : #1 in total toxic releases • Pollution from top 89 mines in US: 5 times pollution from entire U.S. chemical industry (3,600 plants) • Western water polluted by mine waste: 40 percent of Western headwaters • Proposed mining operations that have been blocked by the Department of Interior because they posed a risk to public health or the environment: None • Other land uses that supercede rights of mining companies to operate on public lands: None |
EWG analysis of data compiled by the Bureau of Land Management. |
Top Mining Plan/Notice Companies/Individuals on BLM land in Utah Ranked by Acres Affected
Companies have been consolidated to account for subsidiaries. View this table without consolidation.
| Company/Individual | Headquarters | Number of Mining Plans & Notices on BLM land | Estimated Acreage | Plan Date(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lisbon Copper Ltd | Murray, UT | 2 | 1,157 | 1986 to 1997 |
| 2 | Raymond Kunkel | Murray, UT | 2 | 1,157 | 1986 to 1997 |
| 3 | Paul R Clemons | Scottsdale, AZ | 2 | 1,157 | 1986 to 1997 |
| 4 | Atlas Minerals Corp | Moab, UT | 5 | 1,139 | 1981 to 1997 |
| 5 | Summo USA Corp | Denver, CO | 1 | 1,104 | 1997 |
| 6 | Mary Lou Kosanke | Bluff, UT | 1 | 1,104 | 1997 |
| 7 | Gerald F Laughter | Floravista, NM | 1 | 420 | 0 |
| 8 | Gold Terra Inc | Price, UT | 1 | 320 | 0 |
| 9 | Permin Exploration | New York City, NY | 1 | 295 | 1988 |
| 10 | Fawcett Legrande | St George, UT | 1 | 295 | 1988 |
| See all plan/notice holders in Utah | |||||
Counties in Utah Ranked by Acres Affected by Plans and Notices
| County | Number of Mining Plans & Notices on BLM land | Estimated Acreage | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Juan County | 11 | 1,345 | details | map |
| 2 | Box Elder County | 19 | 766 | details | map |
| 3 | Emery County | 31 | 506 | details | map |
| 4 | Grand County | 8 | 458 | details | map |
| 5 | Washington County | 15 | 345 | details | map |
| 6 | Millard County | 23 | 315 | details | map |
| 7 | Juab County | 21 | 192 | details | map |
| 8 | Tooele County | 31 | 172 | details | map |
| 9 | Beaver County | 25 | 126 | details | map |
| 10 | Iron County | 11 | 101 | details | map |
| See all counties | |||||
Examples of Mines in Utah
| Name of Mine | Location of Mine | Mine Status | Metal Mined | Owner or Parent Company of Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bingham Canyon Mine | Salt Lake County, UT | Open | Copper Ore | Rio Tinto Limited |
| Barney's Canyon Gold Mine | Salt Lake County, UT | Open | Gold | Rio Tinto Limited |
| Trixie | Juab County, UT | Open | Gold | Tintic Utah Metals, Llc |
Source: EWG analysis.