Show HN: Mines.fyi – all the mines in the US in a leaflet visualization — HRCB

Name: HRCB Evaluation: Show HN: Mines.fyi – all the mines in the US in a leaflet visualization
Item: Show HN: Mines.fyi – all the mines in the US in a leaflet visualization
Rating: 0.38
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home / mines.fyi / item 47094149

+0.38	Show HN: Mines.fyi – all the mines in the US in a leaflet visualization (mines.fyi)
	103 points by irasigman 5 days ago \| 52 comments on HN \| Neutral Product · v3.7 · 2026-02-26

Summary Information Access & Labor Transparency Advocates

mines.fyi is a free, public-access web application providing searchable data on 91,000+ US mines sourced from the MSHA open government dataset. The platform strongly advocates for Article 19 rights (freedom to seek and receive information) through unrestricted, cost-free access to comprehensive mine operator, location, employment, and production data. It also supports labor transparency (Article 23/25) by surfacing employee counts and mine status data. A privacy concern (Article 12) emerges from uncontrolled Google Analytics tracking without visible consent mechanisms.

Article Heatmap

Negative Neutral Positive No Data

Aggregates

Weighted Mean	+0.38	Unweighted Mean	+0.33
Max	+0.97 Article 19	Min	-0.38 Article 12
Signal	13	No Data	18
Confidence	19%	Volatility	0.30 (Medium)
Negative	1	Channels	E: 0.5 S: 0.5
SETL	-0.04	Structural-dominant
FW Ratio	59%	30 facts · 21 inferences

Evidence: High: 1 Medium: 6 Low: 6 No Data: 18

Theme Radar

HN Discussion 19 top-level · 18 replies

irasigman 2026-02-20 21:27 UTC link

Downloaded from https://www.msha.gov/data-and-reports/mine-data-retrieval-sy.... Pipe-delimited, updated weekly by MSHA.

kenforthewin 2026-02-20 21:52 UTC link

I'm glad it's those kinds of mines rather than the ones I first thought of.

Exuma 2026-02-20 21:53 UTC link

How many of these pose asbestos hazards like the Libby mine?

SaberTail 2026-02-20 22:01 UTC link

This doesn't seem to be complete. It's missing the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, for example, which should be southeast of Carlsbad, NM. It's a underground salt (metal/non-metal) mine, and MSHA definitely regulates it

advisedwang 2026-02-20 22:42 UTC link

This seems to include cement works and other processing plants that have somewhat mine-like output but aren't actually extracting anything from the ground at that site.

nektro 2026-02-20 22:58 UTC link

I love the idea of a site like this existing but the expanding dots is a really bad way to visualize this.

HardwareLust 2026-02-20 23:05 UTC link

I saw your title and my first thought was "Why are there landmines in the US?" lol.

simonw 2026-02-20 23:26 UTC link

TIL there's a mine within San Francisco city limits! https://mines.fyi/mine/0405261

(I guess technically a "surface mine" for "Construction Sand and Gravel".)

w10-1 2026-02-20 23:30 UTC link

Can't see a thing. Dark on dark in Safari 26.3.

koshergweilo 2026-02-20 23:42 UTC link

I don't know why, but when I read the title I assumed the map was about landmines.

No, these are the cool ones that take stuff out of the ground, not the ones that destroy everything above them

tastyfreeze 2026-02-21 00:20 UTC link

USGS MRDATA has a lot more mines. Their data is also freely available for download. I use their datasets and base maps for my personal GIS projects.

https://mrdata.usgs.gov/

pimlottc 2026-02-21 00:48 UTC link

Please reduce the aggregation of map markers. It's not helpful to group every mine in southwest US in a single point in California that makes it look like they are none in any other state. I see this all the time on maps and it's really frustrating. Aggregate markers are helpful when the individual points are actually overlapping on the map, otherwise they obscure location data.

alan_sass 2026-02-21 01:42 UTC link

Just a heads-up that this is nowhere near "all the mines" in Nevada. I've explored quite a few personally, live by some, and that entire list of my memories is missing. NV is also not included in the list of top 10 states which is a clear indicator of missing data fwiw.

jeffbee 2026-02-21 02:28 UTC link

I looked for all my local mines and none of them are on here. It seems that all of the listed mines for California are stone quarries. It omits the numerous other mines.

thirtygeo 2026-02-21 05:43 UTC link

Add Canada! Every province has a GIS repository of mines

utool 2026-02-21 10:35 UTC link

I was trying to figure out where to send my son to work this summer. This makes it easier. Thank, very cool!

metalman 2026-02-21 13:43 UTC link

under 50, actual underground mines for metals, under 175 total open pit and underground mines for metal the real numbers for rock quarys * are hidden, and I must assume that they are also a small portion of the "total"

* sell actual blocks of stone vs gravel/fill/agregate

jmspring 2026-02-21 15:43 UTC link

There seem to be more quarries in where I looked (near Reno) than mines. 16:1 in Allegheny is not on there - interesting place. It’s still semi active.

lattrommi 2026-02-21 16:22 UTC link

Set state to Ohio. Set status to Abandoned.

Wonder why mines located in Ohio, show up in Greenland, Central America and the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

On closer inspection, the Lat/Long are switched on some of these anomalies. I did not check them all.

alexchamberlain 2026-02-20 21:44 UTC link

There are 3 mines on Manhattan; is that correct?

maxbond 2026-02-20 23:28 UTC link

Once you learn how to spot these you'll see them everywhere on road trips and such.

buildbot 2026-02-20 23:51 UTC link

I had exactly the same thought, and was quite intrigued. Very disappointed actually, it would be cool if there was open data about land mines.

buildbot 2026-02-20 23:55 UTC link

Apparently there are in fact, 0. Publicly, at least.

guessmyname 2026-02-21 00:14 UTC link

Oh! I thought it was landmines too and was very confused + concerned when I saw dots near where I live.

jedberg 2026-02-21 00:17 UTC link

Same! And then I saw three near my house and thought "if they know where they are, why haven't they been removed???"

Then I clicked on one and saw it was the name of our local rock quarry. :)

greggsy 2026-02-21 00:22 UTC link

The state numbers don’t seem to marry up, unless they’re indicative of something else?

dboreham 2026-02-21 00:43 UTC link

The data set includes gravel pits. You can filter them out by selecting "Underground" for "Type".

snypher 2026-02-21 00:48 UTC link

WIPP isn't really a mine, right? More like an Amazon warehouse.

bombcar 2026-02-21 01:02 UTC link

It includes what most would call quarries and it doesn't include anywhere near all of them (there are basically infinite invisible quarries everywhere to make concrete because it doesn't transport well).

bombcar 2026-02-21 01:02 UTC link

And it doesn't include all of those.

phillipseamore 2026-02-21 01:03 UTC link

True. Clustering on a map is usually a sign that a map was setup by someone that doesn't use it or has no interest in the data.

dboreham 2026-02-21 01:37 UTC link

The Libby mine isn't in the data set because it's no longer operational.

nick49488171 2026-02-21 02:53 UTC link

Agreed. Huge annoyance when looking for routes on MountainProject as one example.

charv 2026-02-21 03:14 UTC link

Strong disagree — aggregate markers were super useful when browsing the map on mobile! Maybe need to add a flag for mobile vs. desktop, but the experience would be a lot worse on mobile without them.

Firehawke 2026-02-21 04:56 UTC link

Strong disagree. Zoom in and the clusters break up. Without the clustering, the map is a total mess when zoomed out.

andrew_mason1 2026-02-21 13:10 UTC link

hey now, landmines destroy stuff below them too

rpozarickij 2026-02-21 15:39 UTC link

I'm pretty sure for me "mining.fyi" wouldn't have created any associations with landmines (although "mines.fyi" does seem to match the contents of the website closer).

It'd be really interesting to see A/B testing results about what most people associate the word "mines" with (I wouldn't be surprised if that would be landmines in this day and age).

Editorial Channel

What the content says

+0.65

Article 19 Freedom of Expression

High Advocacy Practice

Editorial

+0.65

SETL

-0.19

Core mission explicitly supports freedom of opinion and expression by providing unrestricted access to factual data on US mines. Data sourced from government MSHA dataset ensures authoritative information.

+0.50

Article 25 Standard of Living

Medium Practice Framing

Editorial

+0.50

SETL

-0.17

Mine data transparency can inform public health and safety understanding. No explicit health advocacy, but data on mine status (active, abandoned, temporarily idled) and type (underground vs. surface) relates to occupational health.

+0.45

Article 23 Work & Equal Pay

Medium Practice Framing

Editorial

+0.45

SETL

+0.21

Data on mine operators, employment levels, and production histories provide transparency on labor conditions in mining. Employee counts visible per mine support informed analysis of working conditions.

+0.40

Article 13 Freedom of Movement

Medium Practice

Editorial

+0.40

SETL

-0.15

Data on mine locations, operators, and production enables freedom of movement and informational access. No restrictions on user movement within country or information presentation.

+0.40

Article 28 Social & International Order

Medium Practice

Editorial

+0.40

SETL

-0.15

Mine data transparency supports public order and rights by enabling informed scrutiny of mining operations and labor practices. Open government data approach affirms democratic accountability.

+0.35

Preamble Preamble

Medium Practice

Editorial

+0.35

SETL

-0.14

Schema.org metadata references MSHA (a government organization) and public dataset, implying commitment to human dignity through informed access and transparency.

+0.30

Article 29 Duties to Community

Low Practice

Editorial

+0.30

SETL

+0.12

No explicit content addressing duties or community obligations. Data presentation is neutral and non-prescriptive.

-0.25

Article 12 Privacy

Medium Practice

Editorial

-0.25

SETL

+0.12

No privacy policy or data handling disclosure evident. No indication of how user behavior or search queries are protected or limited.

Article 1 Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood

Low Practice

No explicit content addressing equality or inherent dignity.

Article 2 Non-Discrimination

Low Practice

No content addressing discrimination or equality of rights.

Article 3 Life, Liberty, Security

No content addressing right to life, liberty, and security of person.

Article 4 No Slavery

No content addressing slavery or servitude.

Article 5 No Torture

No content addressing torture or cruel treatment.

Article 6 Legal Personhood

No content addressing right to recognition before law.

Article 7 Equality Before Law

No content addressing equal protection before law.

Article 8 Right to Remedy

No content addressing remedy for rights violations.

Article 9 No Arbitrary Detention

No content addressing arbitrary arrest or detention.

Article 10 Fair Hearing

No content addressing fair and public hearing.

Article 11 Presumption of Innocence

No content addressing presumption of innocence or due process in criminal proceedings.

Article 14 Asylum

No content addressing asylum or refuge.

Article 15 Nationality

No content addressing nationality.

Article 16 Marriage & Family

No content addressing marriage or family.

Article 17 Property

No content addressing property rights.

Article 18 Freedom of Thought

No content addressing freedom of thought, conscience, or religion.

Article 20 Assembly & Association

Low Practice

No content addressing freedom of assembly or association.

Article 21 Political Participation

No content addressing participation in government.

Article 22 Social Security

Low Practice

No explicit content addressing social security or welfare.

Article 24 Rest & Leisure

No content addressing rest, leisure, or working hours.

Article 26 Education

Low Practice

No explicit content addressing education or cultural development.

Article 27 Cultural Participation

No content addressing cultural or scientific participation.

Article 30 No Destruction of Rights

No content addressing destruction of rights or freedoms.

Structural Channel

What the site does

Domain Context Profile

Element	Modifier	Affects	Note
Privacy	—		No privacy policy or terms visible on page. Google Analytics tracking present (GA-5BGLLHBC2V) but no explicit privacy disclosure observed.
Terms of Service	—		No terms of service link or disclosure visible on page.
Accessibility	—		Responsive design with mobile breakpoints observed. Dark theme with color contrast may present challenges for some users but no explicit accessibility statement.
Mission	+0.15	Article 19	Mission implicit: free public access to mine data from MSHA open government dataset. Schema.org markup indicates commitment to data transparency and zero-cost access, supporting information access rights.
Editorial Code	—		No editorial code of conduct or journalistic standards declared.
Ownership	—		No ownership information disclosed on page. Domain operator not identified.
Access Model	+0.20	Article 19 Article 25	Zero-cost, free access to 91,000+ mine records explicitly stated. No subscription wall or paywall. Supports universal information access and public participation.
Ad/Tracking	-0.10	Article 12	Google Analytics tracking code present without explicit notice or consent mechanism visible. May impact privacy expectations.

+0.70

Article 19 Freedom of Expression

High Advocacy Practice

Structural

+0.70

Context Modifier

+0.30

SETL

-0.19

Free, public search interface enables anyone to seek, receive, and impart information about mines. No registration, no login, no paywall. Data displayed transparently via map, tables, and breakdowns. No censoring or filtering of factual information.

+0.55

Article 25 Standard of Living

Medium Practice Framing

Structural

+0.55

Context Modifier

+0.20

SETL

-0.17

Free public access to comprehensive mine safety and production data supports informed participation in health and safety monitoring. Data filters include 'Status' (Active, Abandoned, Temporarily Idled), enabling safety-related queries.

+0.45

Article 13 Freedom of Movement

Medium Practice

Structural

+0.45

Context Modifier

0.00

SETL

-0.15

Interactive map displays all mines nationwide without geographic restrictions. State-level filtering allows users to focus on specific regions. No gating of geographic information.

+0.45

Article 28 Social & International Order

Medium Practice

Structural

+0.45

Context Modifier

0.00

SETL

-0.15

Public searchability and transparency of mine operator data, employment records, and production history enables civil society oversight and accountability mechanisms.

+0.40

Preamble Preamble

Medium Practice

Structural

+0.40

Context Modifier

0.00

SETL

-0.14

Free, zero-cost access to mine data; no paywall or registration barrier. Publicly-sourced government data. Structure enables public participation in monitoring.

+0.35

Article 23 Work & Equal Pay

Medium Practice Framing

Structural

+0.35

Context Modifier

0.00

SETL

+0.21

Database enables researchers, workers, and the public to analyze labor patterns in mining. However, no direct labor advocacy or rights education integrated into interface.

+0.25

Article 1 Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood

Low Practice

Structural

+0.25

Context Modifier

0.00

SETL

Equal access to mine data for all users (no differentiation by socioeconomic status, geography, or other characteristics). Dark-mode interface does not distinguish users by protected category.

+0.25

Article 20 Assembly & Association

Low Practice

Structural

+0.25

Context Modifier

0.00

SETL

Platform enables public participation in collective awareness and information-sharing about mines, but no explicit assembly or association features observed.

+0.25

Article 29 Duties to Community

Low Practice

Structural

+0.25

Context Modifier

0.00

SETL

+0.12

Free access enables individuals to participate in informed civil society oversight, but no explicit framing of community responsibilities.

+0.20

Article 2 Non-Discrimination

Low Practice

Structural

+0.20

Context Modifier

0.00

SETL

No observed differentiation or exclusion on grounds of race, color, sex, language, religion, political opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or status.

+0.20

Article 22 Social Security

Low Practice

Structural

+0.20

Context Modifier

0.00

SETL

Mining data transparency can inform public understanding of labor conditions and employment, but no direct welfare services observed.

+0.15

Article 26 Education

Low Practice

Structural

+0.15

Context Modifier

0.00

SETL

Public access to mine data may support educational inquiry and research, but no structured educational features observed.

-0.30

Article 12 Privacy

Medium Practice

Structural

-0.30

Context Modifier

-0.10

SETL

+0.12

Google Analytics tracking code embedded without visible consent mechanism or privacy control. No opt-out, cookie banner, or explicit privacy safeguards observed.

Article 3 Life, Liberty, Security