Mining In New York State
New York State ranks in or near the top third of the states in the value of its mineral production, and mineral resources make a substantial contribution to the state's total economy. The Division offers an online searchable mining database to make information available via this website.
- Almost 90 percent of mining in New York involves the excavation of sand, gravel, and limestone. These minerals are often processed through screens and crushers and used in concrete, blacktop, roadfill, and construction projects.
- New York also has important reserves of salt, garnet, emery, gypsum, talc, zinc, and wollastonite. These minerals are used to produce sandpaper, wallboard, paint pigment, ceramics, brick, glass and industrial abrasives.
Where Mines are Located:
Mining occurs in every county in New York State except Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens and Richmond.
Leading Mineral Commodities Produced in New York State (Based on Value):
- Crushed stone
- Limestone
- Salt
- Construction sand and gravel
- Zinc
Total Value of Non-Fuel Mineral Production in New York State: $1.5 billion
National Ranking in Production of Non-Fuel Minerals: Fifteenth
About Mineral Resources in New York State:
- New York is the only state in the U.S. that produces wollastonite.
- New York ranks second in the nation in the output of garnet and zinc.
- New York ranks third in the production of salt, and fourth in crude talc.
- New York ranks seventh in the production of construction sand and gravel. Lists of New York's sand/gravel mines
