Borax’s roots stretch back to 1872 when company founders began mining borates in Nevada. They used teams of 20 mules and giant wagons to haul them 165 miles to the nearest railroad in Mojave, California. Our mine in Boron, California began as an underground mine in 1927 and was transformed into an open pit mine in 1957. Today, we operate California’s largest open pit mine. The mine contains one of
the richest borate deposits on the planet and supplies more than 30% of the world’s demand for refined borates. No matter how far our product travels, we remain committed to the environmental preservation of Death Valley:
• In 1916, company officials helped write the language that was adopted by the U.S. Congress to establish the National Park Service.
• Company leaders donated land holdings to the government and lobbied to have Death Valley protected as a National Monument in 1933 and again as a National Park in 1994.
• Since 2001, our Sustainable Development program has guided how we measure, improve, and report on social, environmental, and economic performance.
• In 2010, Rio Tinto Borates donated another 110 acres and associated mineral rights to the federal government to expand Death Valley National Park.
• We currently operate a 950-square foot, state- and federally-sanctioned Wildlife Rescue Center which is a sanctuary for threatened and endangered bird species.
