Page 217

 
Mineral 
1988 
1989 
1990 
. 
Quantity 
Value 
(thousands) 
. 
Quantity 
Value 
(thousands) 
. 
Quantity 
Value 
(thousands) 
Clays2 metric tons 
762,324 
NA 
$3,217 
3 
716,990 
NA 
$3,357 
W 
826,205 
NA 
$8,282 
W 
Gemstones 
Sand and gravel (construction) 
thousandshorttons 
6,325 
' 50,700 
 15,243 
' 207,900 
 ' 5,500 ~48,178 
' 15,100 
~187,849 
 8,802 
' SO,lOO 
 29,581 
"182,900 
Stone (crushed) do. 
Combined value of cement, clays (ball 
clay, fire clay, 1988-89), lead (1990), 
lime, sand and gravel (industrial, 
1988-89), silver (1990), stone (crushed 
dolomite, 1989-90), zinc (1988, 1990), 
and values indicated by symbol W 
Total 
124,353 
XX 
138,101 
330,659 
XX 
358,864 
xx Not applicable. 
ENTUCKY—1990  217THE MINERAL INDUSTRY OF KENTUCKY 
This chapter has been prepared under a Memorandum of Understanding between
the U.S. Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of the Interior, and the Kentucky
Geological Survey for collecting information on all nonfuel minerals. 
By L. J. Prosser, Jr.,1 and Garland R. Dever, Jr.2 
 The value of nonfuel mineral production in Kentucky in 1990 of $359 million
was the highest reported in State history. Substantial increases in output
and value were reported for clays, lime, and construction sand and gravel.
Nationally, Kentucky ranked 30th in the value of nonfuel mineral production.
 The State was a major producer of aluminum and coal, ranking second in output
in the United States in both of those commodities. 
TRENDS AND 
DEVELOPMENTS 
 Traditionally, Kentucky's mining industry has been dominated by coal. The
State has produced in excess of 160 million short tons of coal each year
since 1984. In 1990, about 179 million tons was reported by the Kentucky
 Department of Mines and Minerals. The 
 State has accounted for about 20 % of 
 U.S. production annually since 1966. 
 Future coal production in Kentucky was expected to be affected by enactment
of amendments to the Federal Clean Air Act late in 1990. The amendments would
~ require reduced sulfur dioxide emissions 
~ from coal-burning plants and were 
~ expected to result in increased competition between Kentucky coal and the
low-sulfur coal mined in the Western 
~ United States, particularly in Wyoming. 
~ The installation of scrubbing systems for flue gas desulfurization at coal-fired
plants, however, would permit the continued burning of higher sulfur coals
and would increase the demand for lime and limestone used as reagents in
sulfur dioxide removal. 
 During the past 5 years, the State's industrial mineral producers and metal
TABLE 1 
manufacturers increased production and expanded operations. In 1990, Kentucky
was among the leading States in production of a number of mineral commodities,
ranking 1st in ball clay, 2d in aluminum, 4th in lime, 6th in ferroalloys,
and 10th in crushed stone. 
LEGISLATION AND 
GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS 
 In 1990, the Kentucky Revenue Cabinet began sending assessment notices for
ad valorem taxation of unmined coal reserves in Kentucky. The Cabinet started
its assessment program in 1989, after the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled in
March 1988 that the State must tax unmined coal at the same rate as other
real estate. That decision raised the State rate from one-tenth of 1 cent
for every $ 1 00 of assessed value to about 2 1 cents 
NONFUEL MThIERAL PRODUCTION IN KENTUCKY' 
 xx 118,616 XX 
XX 344,979 XX 
~Estimaied. NA Not available. W WithbCId to avoid disciouing cempany proprietary
data; value included with ~Combired vatue~ figure. ' Production as measured
by mire shipments, sales, or marketable production (incltaiing consumption
by producers). 
' Exchales certain clays; kind and value included with ' Combined valueS
figure. 
' Exciudes certain stot~s; kind and value inciuded with ~Combizwd va1uc~
figure.