BLM issues decision on American Gypsum’s expansion proposal
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SILT, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management issued a decision today approving the American Gypsum Company’s proposal to expand its Eagle-Gypsum Mine in Eagle County by about 100 acres. The expansion will allow Colorado’s largest gypsum mine to continue supporting nearly 100 jobs and economic development in the state and throughout the construction industry.
“Authorizing expansion of the Eagle-Gypsum Mine provides greater certainty for the future of American Gypsum, its employees, and local communities,” said BLM Colorado River Valley Field Manager Larry Sandoval. “The current mine has been in operation since 1984 and is an important contributor to the local economy.”
American Gypsum operates the Eagle-Gypsum Mine about two miles north of the Town of Gypsum. The mine and associated wallboard plant produce about 600 million square feet of dry wall annually and employ nearly 100 people.
Gypsum, one of the most widely used minerals in the world, literally surrounds us every day. Most gypsum in the United States is used to make wallboard for homes, offices, and commercial buildings. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the typical new American home contains more than 7 metric tons of gypsum alone. Gypsum is used worldwide in concrete for highways, bridges, buildings, and many other structures that are part of our everyday life. Gypsum also is used extensively as a soil conditioner on large tracts of land in suburban areas, as well as in agricultural regions.
American Gypsum is the fifth largest producer of gypsum wallboard in North America, operating four gypsum plants with an annual capacity approaching four billion square feet of wallboard.
The decision follows a 30-day public comment period that began April 3. The approval allows for continued and expanded mining, sustaining gypsum production for mine and wallboard plant jobs into the future. Without the mine expansion, gypsum ores were projected to be used up within the next two decades. American Gypsum’s current gypsum mining permit area is 830 acres, with current surface disturbance at about 191 acres.
The project decision record and other documents can be found at https://go.usa.gov/xpJaU.
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The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.