Domestic Asbestos Production in the US
Domestic Production and Use: There has been no asbestos mining in the United States since 2002, so the United States is totally dependent on imports to meet manufacturing needs. Asbestos consumption in the United States was estimated to be 55% for roofing products, 26% for coatings and compounds, and 19% for other applications.
(Data in thousand metric tons unless otherwise noted)
|
Salient Statistics—United States: |
2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
| Production (sales), mine | 3 | - | - | - | - |
| Imports for consumption | 7 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Exports1 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Shipments from Government stockpile excesses | - | - | - | - | - |
| Consumption, estimated | 7 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Price, average value, dollars per ton2 | 160 | 220 | 255 | 255 | NA |
| Stocks, producer, yearend | NA | NA | - | - | - |
| Employment, mine and mill, number | 15 | 2 | - | - | - |
| Net import reliance3 as a percentage of estimated consumption |
100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
Recycling: None.
Import Sources (2002-05): Canada, 89%; and other, 11%.
Depletion Allowance: 22% (Domestic), 10% (Foreign).
Government Stockpile: None.
Events, Trends, and Issues: There was no production of asbestos in the United States. U.S. exports increased to an estimated 3,380 tons in 2006 from 1,510 tons in 2005. Exports may include some nonasbestos materials and reexports, as U.S. production of asbestos ceased in 2002. Imports decreased to an estimated 2,340 tons in 2006 from 2,530 tons in 2005. Domestic use of asbestos declined to an estimated 2,340 tons in 2006 from 2,530 tons in 2005. All the asbestos used in the United States was chrysotile. Canada remained the leading supplier of asbestos for domestic consumption.
The Mine Safety and Health Administration reviewed testimony related to its proposed reduction of the 8-hour timeweighted average permissible exposure level to 0.1 fiber per cubic centimeter from 2.0 fibers per cubic centimeter for asbestos. No deadline has been set for a decision concerning this action. Health research and asbestos cleanup continued in Libby, MT, where vermiculite contaminated with asbestos was mined and processed, and at several vermiculite processing plants across the country. The health risk posed by asbestos exposure in populated areas, such as housing developments, hiking trails, and school settings, remained a contentious topic of discussion, particularly in El Dorado County, CA. This issue arose because residential development, particularly in California, expanded into areas where outcrops of asbestos occur.
U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2007
