Mining in the Catskill Mountains

Types of Mining

• Because of the low concentration of minerals in the Catskill Mountains, ore mining is largely unprofitable. The only resource that is practically available in the Mountains is bluestone, a rock that is used in construction to pave sidewalks and and countertops. Bluestone is a type of sandstone, which has a grayish blue appearance.

Scale

• Only 500 tons of bluestone are produced in the Catskill Mountains each year. A majority of this is produced at small-scale mines using hand tools. There are only 64 of these mines that produce bluestone legally in New York. However, there may be many more unlicensed miners that operate in the Catskill range.

Extraction

• To say that extracting bluestone is labor-intensive would be a serious understatement. Miners first dig through a layer of overburden. They then use sledgehammers to break slabs of bluestone from large underground boulders. This stone is then collected and shaped into pavers, which are loaded into trailers for distribution.

Profitability

• Bluestone miners in the Catskill Mountains are able to make large profits. In New York State alone, bluestone mining is a $100 million industry. These profits are spread across 64 mines, which produce a combined total of 500 tons of bluestone annually.

Environmental Impact

• There is an environmental risk associated with every kind of mining, and bluestone mining is no exception, although at such a small scale as bluestone mining, the environmental impact of mining in the Catskill Mountains is negligible. The primary environmental concern is mishandling of overburden. Miners sometimes leave large holes in the mountainsides when they throw the overburden down the sides of the hills and leave an unsightly mess. The state of New York is taking measures to prevent this.