295The Mineral Industry of Indiana 
 
This chapter has been prepared under a cooperative agreement between the
Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of the Interior, and the Geological Survey,
Indiana Department of Natural Resources, for collecting information on all
minerals except fuels. 
 
 
By Donald F. Kiyce1 and Mary B. Fox2 
 
 
 
 In 1967, the value of mineral production in Indiana reached a record high
of $245 million. Portland cement, coal, sand and gravel, and stone registered
substantial gains over the previous year. Production of construction materials—cement,
clays, gypsum, lime, sand and gravel, and stone 
—was nearly 7 percent larger than in 1966. The output of mineral fuels
increased at a lower rate because of a decline in the production of natural
gas and petroleum. Nonmetais accounted for nearly 58 percent of the value
of State mineral production. The remainder represented the value of mineral
fuels, since no metaflic ores were mined in the State. 
 Mineral production was reported from 87 of the 92 counties in Indiana. Nearly
half the value of State mineral production came from six counties: Clark,
Lake, Lawrence, Putnam, Sullivan, and Warrick. In these counties most of
the cement, nearly two-thirds of the coal, and substantial quantities of
building and crushed stone, sand and gravel, and clay were produced. Twenty-eight
counties had mineral production valued at $1 million or more. No mineral
production was reported in Benton, Brown, Ohio, Tipton, and Vanderburgh Counties.

 Legislation and Government programs.— The 1967 Indiana Legislature
enacted a revised strip-mining law (House enrolled act 1789) to become effective
January 1, 1968. This law which applies to all coal, clay, and shale surface-mining
operations on land owned or leased by the operator, is administered by the
Indiana Natural Resources Commission. It requires operators to submit a complete
plan of land reclamation before a mining permit is issued. A permit must
be obtained each year and bond posted. 
 Grading guidelines specified by the commission require that land good only
for trees be graded to a roiling terrain of no more than 33 1/3 percent,
land for row crops must have a slope of no more than 8 percent, and pasture
land of high quality is to be graded to a slope of no more than 25 percent.
Peaks and ridges will' not be permitted. A soil test will help determine
land capability. 
 1 Industry economist, Bureau of Mines, Minneapolis, Minn. 
 2 Mineral statistician, Geological Survey, Indiana Department of Natural
Resources, Bloomington, md.