Delta Beryllium Plant, Utah

This industrial plant in the Sevier Desert of western Utah is one of the only sources of concentrated beryllium in the world. The plant is a mill and finishing facility for this high-strength, lightweight metal used in military, aerospace, nuclear, and medical industries. The ore for the plant comes from the company's mine, located in the Topaz-Spor Mountains, 50 miles west, which is North America's only developed source for the material. Beryllium dust is highly toxic, so mining and machining of the material needs to be done carefully. The plant and mine were developed in the 1950s, and operated for decades under Materion's former name, BrushWellman. The company further refines and engineers the material at a plant in Ohio.