6.1 Sector Descriptions and Overview

Mining and quarrying activities produce particulate matter (PM) emissions due to the variety of processes used to extract the ore and associated overburden, including drilling and blasting, loading and unloading, and overburden replacement. Fugitive dust emissions for mining and quarrying operations are the sum of emissions from the mining of metallic and nonmetallic ores and coal. Each of these mining operations has specific emissions factors accounting for the different means by which the resources are extracted.