Securing the Charge: Transforming Mining Waste into the Backbone of U.S. Economic Growth
With the push to onshore critical minerals for economic strength and national security, a century of mine waste may hold the key to America’s future.
Over the last century, the Bingham Canyon Mine, also known as the Kennecott Copper Mine, has continuously evolved. It pioneered numerous technological advancements that transformed mining worldwide. After the early adoption of steam shovels in 1906, the mine integrated electric shovels and conveyor belt systems by the mid‑20th century. These improvements vastly increased ore handling efficiency and reduced reliance on rail transport.
In the latter half of the 20th century, Bingham Canyon began embracing automation, evolving from basic mechanization to precision systems. By the 1990s, the mine had integrated computer-based haul truck dispatch and GPS-enabled drill monitoring for more efficient and accurate drilling operations. Over the following decades, truck capacity expanded from 190 ton models in the 1980s to modern 320 ton trucks, now managed through advanced fleet coordination systems that improve productivity and safety.
After the 2013 landslide, Bingham Canyon deployed remote-operated excavators, dozers, and drill rigs to safely operate in unstable areas, allowing work to continue while reducing risks to personnel. This marked a major shift toward fully remote and autonomous systems in day-to-day operations.
Ore processing also advanced significantly. The concentrator was upgraded with semi-autogenous grinding and ball mills, as well as large flotation cells that enabled high-volume separation of copper and molybdenum concentrates. Downstream systems incorporated hydrometallurgical processes, including autoclaves, solvent extraction, and electrorefining, to maximize metal recovery while minimizing environmental impact. These innovations positioned Bingham Canyon as a leader in integrating large-scale automation and modern processing within a legacy mining operation.
However, all of these advancements focused primarily on ramping up copper output. It was not until recently that Bingham Canyon began recovering a high value critical metal from its waste stream. The mine became one of the first in North America to commercially recover tellurium, a rare and strategically important element used in solar panels and electronic applications. This is extracted from copper refining slimes, a material previously discarded as waste.