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<br />
<br />tions. As a result, they cost more
<br />to extract and often cost more to
<br />process.
<br />
<br />to
<br />
<br />4. Sooner or later, by today t s
<br />economic standards, recoverable
<br />mineral deposits wi II be exhausted
<br />or cost more to obtain than the
<br />consumer I s wi III ng to pay.
<br />
<br />5. New mining and processing
<br />methods sometimes make it possible
<br />to extract valuable minerals by
<br />reprocessing the discards of
<br />earlier operations, from previously
<br />inaccessible places and from
<br />lowgrade deposits previously
<br />bypassed.
<br />
<br />6. Often, more than one ml nera I
<br />commodity is obtained from a single
<br />operation.
<br />
<br />7. As lower grade ores are util-
<br />Ized, the volume of wastes to be
<br />disposed of Increases.
<br />
<br />8. Oil, gas, and mi n I ng operat Ions
<br />are temporary uses of the land.
<br />After operations cease, the land
<br />can and should be "recycled" for
<br />another use.
<br />
<br />9. Mining operations frequently
<br />use enormous amounts of energy for
<br />drilling, crushing, hauling,
<br />separation, and processing.
<br />
<br />10. The greatest and most enduring
<br />impacts from mineral operations are
<br />not from the operations themselves,
<br />but from the secondary and tertiary
<br />aspects: new towns, roads, ra I 1-
<br />roads, water project development,
<br />utility corridors, and increased
<br />numbers of people.
<br />
<br />In urbanized society it is sometimes forgotten that the
<br />extraction of minerals is one of the three basic sources of
<br />new wealth--a non-Inflationary asset that previously wasn't
<br />part of the economy. Minerals, products from the forest and
<br />farm and from the sea provide the basics upon which other
<br />
<br />r
<br />
<br />Table 1
<br />1977 COLORADO PRODUCTION OF
<br />METALS, NONMETALLICS, MINERAL FUELS'
<br />Meta I I I cs
<br />
<br />Molybdenum
<br />Uranium
<br />Vanadium
<br />Zinc
<br />S I I ver
<br />Tungsten
<br />Lead
<br />Gold
<br />Copper
<br />Tin
<br />Cadm I um
<br />Iron
<br />
<br />$276,538.944
<br />33,411,581
<br />25,041,601
<br />20,292,427
<br />18,560.061
<br />15,544,678
<br />10.181,349
<br />8,528,605
<br />2,001,737
<br />749,306
<br />387,771
<br />309,764
<br />
<br />Total Metallic Minerai
<br />Production
<br />
<br />$411 ,547,824
<br />
<br />Nonmeta I I I cs
<br />
<br />Sand & Gravel
<br />Cement
<br />Limestone
<br />Stone
<br />Clay
<br />Dolomite
<br />Volcanic Scoria
<br />Peat Mos s
<br />Gypsum
<br />Mica, Feldspar
<br />Per I j te
<br />01 I Shale
<br />M I sce 11 aoeous Nonmeta I I i cs
<br />
<br />$ 47.050.426
<br />24,732,653
<br />5,532,666
<br />3,864.872
<br />995,457
<br />502,656
<br />252,000
<br />111,500
<br />
<br />Total Nonmetallic Minerai
<br />Production
<br />
<br />$ 83,145,589
<br />
<br />Minerai Fuels
<br />
<br />Crude 01 I
<br />Coal
<br />Gas
<br />
<br />$374,132,765
<br />197,284,436
<br />133,223,995
<br />
<br />Total Minerai Fuel
<br />Production
<br />
<br />$ 704,641 , 196
<br />
<br />TOTAL COLORADO MINERAL
<br />PRODUCTION
<br />
<br />$1.199.334,609
<br />
<br />*Colorado Department of Natural Resources, Division of Mines
<br />
<br />53
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