Mineral Commodity Summaries 2011 - Environmental and Energy ...

114PEAT(Data in thousand metric tons unless otherwise noted) 1Domestic Production and Use: The estimated f.o.b. plant value of marketable peat production in the conterminousUnited States was $16.0 million in 2010. Peat was harvested and processed by about 38 companies in 12 of theconterminous States. The Alaska Department of Commerce, Office of Minerals Development, which conducted itsown canvass of producers, reported 182,000 cubic meters of peat was produced in 2009; output was reported only byvolume. 2 A production estimate was unavailable for Alaska for 2010. Florida, Minnesota, and Maine were the leadingproducing States, in order of quantity harvested. Reed-sedge peat accounted for approximately 84% of the totalvolume produced, followed by sphagnum moss, 8%, hypnum moss, 6%, and humus, 2%. About 97% of domesticpeat was sold for horticultural use, including general soil improvement, golf course construction, nurseries, andpotting soils. Other applications included earthworm culture medium, mixed fertilizers, mushroom culture, packing forflowers and plants, seed inoculants, and vegetable cultivation. In the industrial sector, peat was used as an oilabsorbent and as an efficient filtration medium for the removal of waterborne contaminants in mine waste streams,municipal storm drainage, and septic systems.Salient Statistics—United States: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 eProduction 551 635 615 609 612Commercial sales 734 694 648 644 646Imports for consumption 924 977 936 906 960Exports 41 5657 77 73Consumption, apparent 3 1,500 1,590 1,440 1,440 1,500Price, average value, f.o.b. mine, dollars per ton 27.34 25.59 26.42 23.24 24.80Stocks, producer, yearend 128 98 152 149 150Employment, mine and plant, number e 650 625 620 610 610Net import reliance 4 as a percentage ofapparent consumption 63 60 57 58 59Recycling: None.Import Sources (2006–09): Canada, 97%; and other, 3%.Tariff: Item Number Normal Trade Relations12-31-10Peat 2703.00.0000 Free.Depletion Allowance: 5% (Domestic).Government Stockpile: None.Prepared by Lori E. Apodaca [(703) 648-7724, lapodaca@usgs.gov, fax: (703) 648-7757]