GEO2/6: MINING

Feature Story:(6 Of 11) Trucks Carry The Raw Material To Be Made Into Copper Out Of One Of The Oldest And Largest Open-Pit Mines In North America Owned By Phelps Dodge Mining Co June 30,1999. It Is Located Just East Of Silver City, New Mexico. Formally Called Chino Mining Company, It Is Referred To Locally As The Santa Rita Mine Because It Once Housed A Company Town That Was Demolished In The 1960's To Expand The Pit. Phelps Dodge Mining Company Announces More Layoffs. The Company Has Already Had Several Closures And Layoffs Due To The Falling Prices Of Copper. The Closures Have Affected Their Mining Operations In The Silver City Region Of New Mexico, As Well As, The Latest In El Paso, Texas. (Photo By Joe Raedle/Getty Images)