Mining is part of the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (NAICS 21) sector. This sector includes metal mining and nonmetallic mineral mining and quarrying. The term mining is used in the broad sense to include quarrying, well operations, beneficiating (e.g., crushing, screening, washing, and flotation), and other preparation customarily performed at the mine site, or as a part of mining activity.

Additional regulatory information may be available from the US Department of the Interior (DOI).

Laws and Regulations

• Air:

  • Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program
  • National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP): air toxics regulations:
    • Gold Mine Ore Processing and Production (Area Sources)
    • Taconite Iron Ore Processing

• Asbestos:

  • Asbestos Laws and Regulations

• Waste:

  • Industrial Waste: Mining Waste
  • TENORM: Mining Wastes: Technologically-Enhanced, Naturally-Occurring Radioactive Material (TENORM) produced from mining wastes.

• Water:

  • Effluent Guidelines: Coal Mining Point Source Category
  • Ore Mining and Dressing Effluent Guidelines
  • Mineral Mining and Processing Effluent Guidelines
  • Surface Coal Mining in Appalachia: mountaintop coal mining and surface mining.
  • National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES): wastewater permits:
    • Mining
    • Stormwater Discharges from Industrial Facilities
  • Underground Injection Control (UIC) Regulations

Enforcement

• National Enforcement Initiatives: Reducing Pollution from Mineral Processing Operations

Policies and Guidance

• Guidance on Implementing the Radionuclide NESHAP
• Surface Coal Mining Activities under Clean Water Act Section 404: wetlands policy and guidance 
• Polluted Runoff: Abandoned Mine Drainage
• Abandoned Mine Land: Policy and Guidance: assessment and remediation of abandoned mine lands.