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Table 01. Number of Coal Operations in the United States, by Primary Activity, 1978-2007

 

 

Year

Underground Mines

Surface Mines

 

Underground

Surf at UG

Total

Strip

Auger

Culm Bank

Dredge

Total

1978

2,537

155

2,692

3,176

53

61

3

3,293

1979

2,371

175

2,546

2,893

32

55

8

2,988

1980[1]

2,407

303

2,710

2,783

30

58

12

2,883

1981

2,448

374

2,822

2,880

32

59

15

2,986

1982

2,468

259

2,727

2,790

39

54

18

2,901

1983

2,129

44

2,173

2,256

36

50

20

2,362

1984

2,184

31

2,215

2,259

50

53

19

2,381

1985

2,073

30

2,103

2,125

52

54

18

2,249

1986

2,026

39

2,065

2,032

52

66

18

2,168

1987

1,969

40

2,009

1,918

71

55

22

2,066

1988

1,854

59

1,913

1,776

90

56

24

1,946

1989

1,739

42

1,781

1,665

90

57

25

1,837

1990

1,735

42

1,777

1,603

92

67

20

1,782

1991

1,558

47

1,605

1,515

82

72

24

1,693

1992

1,415

40

1,455

1,380

80

64

19

1,543

1993

1,272

51

1,323

1,258

83

73

15

1,429

1994

1,207

49

1,256

1,176

97

80

19

1,372

1995

1,049

32

1,081

1,086

96

77

16

1,275

1996

940

41

981

954

103

77

18

1,152

1997

940

28

968

929

94

77

17

1,117

1998

883

27

910

882

94

74

19

1,069

1999

792

25

817

828

104

63

16

1,011

2000

752

19

771

747

84

73

16

920

2001

754

23

777

754

95

73

15

937

2002

693

18

711

761

81

68

11

921

2003

622

21

643

731

72

66

14

883

2004

627

15

642

770

93

71

10

944

2005

652

18

670

791

98

77

7

973

2006

654

19

673

810

107

79

6

1,002

2007

616

12

628

786

101

82

8

977

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

Table 01. Number of Coal Operations in the United States, by Primary Activity, 1978-2007 -- continued

 

 

Year

Total Mining

Indp Shops/Yrds

Prep Plants

Total w/o Office

Office

Grand Total

1978

5,985

161

988

7,134

28

7,162

1979

5,534

163

1,017

6,714

29

6,743

1980

5,593

168

1,063

6,824

42

6,866

1981

5,808

169

1,155

7,132

50

7,182

1982

5,628

160

1,029

6,817

44

6,861

1983

4,535

147

781

5,463

33

5,496

1984

4,596

143

776

5,515

23

5,538

1985

4,352

132

740

5,224

32

5,256

1986

4,233

122

732

5,087

28

5,115

1987

4,075

104

716

4,895

23

4,918

1988

3,859

89

691

4,639

35

4,674

1989

3,618

87

670

4,375

39

4,414

1990

3,559

82

651

4,292

28

4,320

1991

3,298

83

616

3,997

28

4,025

1992

2,998

79

588

3,665

38

3,703

1993

2,752

79

554

3,385

44

3,429

1994

2,628

81

528

3,237

31

3,268

1995

2,356

77

478

2,911

35

2,946

1996

2,133

70

458

2,661

28

2,689

1997

2,085

61

432

2,578

31

2,609

1998

1,979

58

422

2,459

34

2,493

1999

1,828

47

399

2,274

32

2,306

2000

1,691

45

363

2,099

25

2,124

2001

1,714

54

354

2,122

22

2,144

2002

1,632

59

355

2,046

19

2,065

2003

1,526

54

369

1,949

23

1,972

2004

1,586

46

362

1,994

17

2,011

2005

1,643

41

362

2,046

17

2,063

2006

1,675

38

388

2,101

12

2,113

2007

1,605

38

378

2,021

9

2,030

 



[1] Beginning in 1980 independent contractors working on mine property performing mine exploration, development, production, maintenance, repair and construction work were assigned an identification number, and reported to MSHA, and are included in the count of operations.  Since 1983 the contractors were separated from the mines.