THE HISTORY OF ROOM-AND-PILLAR SALT MINES IN NEW YORK STATE

摘要

The first room-and-pillar salt mine in New York State, the Retsof Mine, went into operation in 1885. The Lehigh, Livonia, Greigsville, and Sterling Mines soon followed. The Retsof Mine ultimately grew to be the largest salt mine in the western hemisphere before succumbing to groundwater inflow in 1995. The active Cayuga Salt Mine started production around 1921. It is the easternmost room-and-pillar salt mine developed in the United States. The Himrod Mine started operations in 1971. Low salt prices, geologic complexity, and environmental issues contributed to the closure of the mine by 1976. The Hampton Corners Mine is the newest mine in New York. The Hampton Corners Mine started development in 1998 and started producing salt by 2002.