How is phosphate mined?
Phosphate ore at Smoky Canyon is mined in open pits by first removing the topsoil and stockpiling it for placement back on top of the reclaimed pits when mining is completed. Then rocks that overlay the phosphate (referred to as overburden) are removed to expose multiple layers or seams of phosphate ore. The phosphate ore is delivered to an on-site mill where it is pulverized in special equipment to a fine powder, mixed with water and pumped 87 miles in an underground pipeline to the processing facility in Pocatello, Idaho. The overburden that was removed is then backfilled back into the open pits, topsoil is placed back on top, the area is reseeded, and trees are replanted, all according to requirements by the Bureau of Land Management and United States Forest Service.
