As we close the books on another year, it is easy to say, “Out with the old, in with the new.” But do we really want to be out with the old entirely?
In some ways, we absolutely do. Overall, this year has been an unsafe one for mining. Even one fatality is one too many, but our year is closing out (at press time) with a scary number: 28. It is a number lower than some previous years, but still on an alarming trend when even one death in the industry is too many. Will mining reach its goal of zero? The best thing we can bring in with the new year is remembrances of those lost in 2025 and reminders of the lessons given by each one of those fatalities.
Safety, in a word, is evergreen. There will never be a time when it will be removed from the front of mind for every worker, every shift, every day. Part of instilling those basic fundamentals, however, is also keeping the successes of miners and mines at the forefront of our minds.
One example is the recent announcement by the National Mining Association that it has again honored outstanding achievements in mine safety with its Sentinels of Safety Awards. Twenty American mining operations – six coal mines and 14 mineral/metal mines – were recognized for extraordinary safety performance in 2024.
In the large group category were Large Coal Processing, Cumberland Mine, Iron Senergy, Pa.; Large Underground Metal, Cortez District-Underground, Nevada Gold Mines, Nev.; Large Surface Coal, Antelope Coal Mine, Navajo Transitional Energy Company, Wyo.; Large Metal/Nonmetal Mill, Tilden Mine, Tilden Mining Company, Mich.; Large Bank or Pit, Atlas 874/115 Mine, Atlas Energy Solutions, Texas; Large Dredge, DTM GEN6 Proppants, DTM Louisiana Gathering, La.; Large Open Pit, Robinson Operation, Robinson Nevada Mining Company, Nev.; Large Quarry, Pennsuco Quarry, Titan America, Fla.; Large Underground Coal, Skyline Mine #3, Canyon Fuel Company, Utah; and Large Underground Nonmetal, Cayuga Mine, Cargill Deicing Solutions, N.Y.
In the small group category were: Small Underground Metal, Middle Tennessee Mines, Gordonsville Mine, Nyrstar, Tenn.; Small Open Pit, East Ridge Plant & Gieseke Plant, Kyanite Mining, Va.; Small Bank or Pit, Northern Portable Plant #12, Martin Marietta Materials, Colo.; Small Coal Processing, Huff Preparation Plant, Northstar Operating Company, Ky; Small Dredge, Portable Sand Plant, River Products Company, Iowa; Small Metal/Nonmetal Mill, Stadium West Quarry, Capital Quarries Company, Mo.; Small Quarry, Ogden Plant, Dolomite Group, N.Y.; Small Surface Coal, Barrackville Refuse Pile, LP Mineral, W.Va.; Small Underground Coal, Cherry Tree Mine, Rosebud Mining Company, Penn.; and Small Underground Nonmetal, Chesney Underground, Carmeuse Lime & Stone, Tenn.
While these awards are for performance in 2024, they use the most current data available for a full calendar year. And just as these 20 are being celebrated now, their achievements will continue to be celebrated by others seeking to emulate the goals these sites set and met over a year’s time.
Happy holidays, please continue to work safely, and see you in 2026.
Donna Schmidt
Editor, North American Mining magazine
[email protected]
X: @Dschmidt_NAM