PUMICE AND PUMICITE (Data in thousand metric tons, unless noted) Domestic Production and Use: The estimated value of pumice and pumicite sold or used in 1995 was $12.6 million. Domestic output came from 13 producers in 6 States. The principal producing States were New Mexico and Oregon, with combined production accounting for about 65% of the national total. The remaining production was from Arizona, California, Idaho, and Kansas. About 64% of the pumice was consumed for building blocks and the remainder was used in abrasives, concrete, laundries, and many other uses. Salient Statistics--United States: 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995e/ Production, mine1/ 401 481 469 490 544 Imports for consumption 118 257 143 143 237 Exportse 13 11 18 18 18 Consumption, apparent 506 727 594 615 763 Price, average value, dollars per ton, f.o.b. mine or mill 22.90 30.99 25.68 24.08 23.15 Stocks, yearend NA NA NA NA NA Employment, mine and mill 50 50 50 50 55 Net import reliance2/ as a percent of apparent consumption 21 34 21 20 29 Recycling: Not available. Import Sources (1991-94): Greece, 67%; Zaire, 8%; Turkey, 7%; Ecuador, 6%; and other, 12%. Tariff: Item Number Most favored nation (MFN) Non-MFN3/ 12/31/95 12/31/95 Crude or in irregular pieces, including crushed pumice 2513.11.0000 Free Free. Other 2513.19.0000 0.3›/kg 1.7›/kg. Depletion Allowance: 5% (Domestic), 5% (Foreign). Government Stockpile: None. Prepared by Wallace P. Bolen, (703) 648-7727. PUMICE AND PUMICITE Events, Trends, and Issues: The apparent consumption of 763,000 tons in 1995 was the highest since 1986 when 851,000 tons was consumed. Increased demand for pumice in lightweight concrete and building block was the major factor influencing increased consumption. It is estimated that in 1996 domestic mine production of pumice and pumicite will remain around 540,000 tons, with U.S. apparent consumption at approximately 750,000 tons. Imports, mainly from Greece, continue to maintain markets on the East Coast and Gulf Coast States of the United States. Imports increased in 1995, returning to well over 200,000 tons after several lean years. Although pumice and pumicite were plentiful in the Western United States, changes that occur in laws and public land designations could make many deposits decreasingly accessible to mining. Pumice and pumicite was sensitive to mining cost and should domestic production cost increase, it was expected that imports and competing materials might replace domestic pumice in many markets. All domestic mining of pumice in 1995 was by open pit methods and generally occurred in relatively remote areas where land use conflicts were not severe. Although the generation and disposal of reject fines in mining and milling resulted in a dust problem at some operations, the environmental impact was restricted to a small geographical area. World Mine Production, Reserves, and Reserve Base: Mine production Reserves4/ Reserve base4/ 1994 1995e/ United States1/ 490 544 Large Large Chile 450 450 NA NA France 500 525 NA NA Germany 650 680 NA NA Greece 900 1,000 NA NA Italy 5,200 5,200 NA NA Spain 700 700 NA NA Turkey 1,000 1,100 NA NA Other countries 1,500 1,500 NA NA World total (rounded) 11,400 11,700 NA NA World Resources: The identified domestic resources of pumice and pumicite in the West are estimated to be at least 25 million tons. The estimated resources in the Western and Great Plains States are 250 million to 450 million tons. Substitutes: Transportation cost determines the maximum distance that pumice and pumicite can be shipped and remain competitive with alternate materials. Competitive materials that can be substituted for pumice and pumicite for several end uses include expanded shale and clay, diatomite, and crushed aggregates. e/Estimated. NA Not available. 1/Quantity sold and used by producers. 2/Defined as imports - exports + adjustments for Government and industry stock changes. 3/See Appendix B. 4/See Appendix C for definitions. Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 1996