Gypsum deposits
are easily mined.
Gypsum is the raw material from which wallboard or drywall is made. It was created long ago when ocean water infiltrated continental shelves; as the sea water receded and evaporated, minerals like gypsum--called evaporites--were left behind. There are a number of gypsum mines around the country that supply the construction and agricultural industries with products made from gypsum. Gypsum is ideal for construction because it has a lot of water embedded in it, which retards fires.
Domestic Production
Gypsum deposits are scattered throughout the continental United States in the Western and Midwestern states. Arizona, New Mexico, California, Nevada, Utah and Colorado have large gypsum deposits and in the Midwest, gypsum is mined in Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas. While most gypsum is used in the construction industry, gypsum also is used in Arizona and Southern California agriculture. Gypsum helps remove the salts from the soils in these arid regions that have hard water.
Canadian and Mexican Production
Gypsum mines exist in Nova Scotia, British Colombia, Manitoba, Ontario, Newfoundland, and Labrador. In addition to using the products in the agricultural and construction industries in Canada, Canadian companies often export drywall to the United States. A gypsum mine in Naica, Mexico, has some of the largest gypsum crystals ever found: up to 6.5 feet in length. It is a working mine; Mexico supplies much of the West Coast with gypsum.
Chinese Gypsum
During the construction boom in the early 2000s, American builders purchased wallboard from China. According to the U.S. Geological Society, the raw gypsum had not been sufficiently heated to remove high levels of sulfur that can combine with gypsum; in warm and humid climates, the sulfur off-gassed into homes and buildings in which it was used.
The sulfides caused damage to metals used for pipes, wires, and appliances, and caused respiratory damage to the home or building's occupants. The society also reported that the Consumer Products Safety Commission turned the issue over to Department of Housing and Urban Development, and it recommend that Chinese drywall be removed and that houses be rewired and replumbed for safety considerations.
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