Kennecott Copper Smelter, Utah

Kennecott’s copper smelter on the south side of the Great Salt Lake is part of one of the largest copper mining operations in the world and has the second tallest smokestack in the nation (the 1,215-foot tall stack is just 35 feet shorter than the Empire State Building.) The facility processes ore from the Bingham Pit, located 15 miles south of the plant. It is expected to be able to economically extract copper from the pit for another 30 years. The tailings pile next to the plant is unusually large as well, covering over 5,000 acres and spanning several miles along the south side of the Interstate. The tailings come from the processing plants through a slurry pipeline at the rate of 56 million tons per year, causing the mound to rise seven or eight feet per year.