three ways: through increasing imports, 
increasing domestic production, and 
stepping up the country’s efforts in 
conservation, recycling, and use of 
renewable resources. In the past, the 
Nation has responded in all three ways 
to changes in demands. For example, 
oil and manganese are imported; the 
United States is self-sufficient in 
molybdenum and minerals used for 
construction; large amounts of lead are 
recycled. Each response to increased 
demand has its advantages and 
disadvantages, and under each, 
different sectors of the economy and 
regions of the country are affected in 
different ways economically, socially, 
and environmentally. For example, the 
foreign manipulation of petroleum 
markets and subsequent high oil prices 
caused hardship in the Northeastern 
United States but benefited the U.S. oil 
industry and oil-producing States. 
Increased imports of minerals to meet 
demands aggravates the Nation’s 
balance-of-payments deficit. Reliance 
on imports also limits the Nation’s 
options in setting national priorities and 
goals. If imports reduce prices, they 
also tend to disrupt local communities 
through closure of mines. While 
imports may be beneficial to the United 
States from the standpoint of reduced 
environmental impact, imports often 
originate in developing countries, 
where environmental controls are 
lacking. Disruption of the environment 
is of general concern to the world 
community of nations. 
Increased domestic production of 
minerals benefits the Nation’s balance 
of payments and in general exerts 
favorable economic impacts on local 
communities and on the national 
economy. Along with such benefits, 
there are also social, economic, and 
environmental implications associated 
with increased mining activity. The 
severity of potential environmental 
impact depends on the type of land and 
the mineral being mined, mining 
methods, the adequacy of laws and 
their enforcement, and the policies of 
the mining company involved. Mining 
can change the landscape, water 
quantity and quality, fish and wildlife 
habitat, air quality, and in some cases 
the health of workers and people living 
near the mine. 
Conservation, recycling, and 
substitution of renewable resources for 
nonrenewable minerals generally have 
favorable environmental impacts. 
Though employment opportunities 
would be reduced in regions where 
minerals are found, employment 
opportunities in other parts of the 
country and other sectors of the 
economy would increase. Historically, 
the U.S. populace has not been oriented 
toward recycling or conservation 
measures except under very adverse 
conditions, such as in the gasoline 
shortages of the 1970's. The use of 
renewable resources can be expected to 
increase in situations where economics 
justify substituting them for 
nonrenewable resources and where 
doing so does not adversely affect the 
typical American lifestyle. 
Opportunities—There are a number of 
opportunities to accommodate the 
projected increase in the Nation’s 
demands for minerals of all kinds over 
the next 50 years. They include: 
—Increasing domestic production by 
improving the business climate, 
encouraging minerals production on 
private lands, facilitating minerals 
development on Federal lands, and by 
improving information on domestic 
minerals location, quantity, and quality. 
—Increasing imports through tax and 
trade measures and bilateral 
agreements with foreign nations. 
—Extending supplies through more 
efficient recovery in mining and 
processing, more efficient use in 
manufacturing and consumption, and 
recycling. 
—Substituting nonmineral materials 
for minerals and abundant minerals for 
scarce ones. 
—TImproving, through research, the 
basic information for more effectively 
mitigating environmental effects of 
mining (fig. 49). 
Figure 49—Research can help managers mitigate the environmental effects of mining. 
Sil 
