U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration

Graphite mines in the United States largely closed down seven decades ago. Mining the ubiquitous mineral found in everything from nuclear reactors to pencils seemed to make little sense when it could be imported inexpensively from other nations, especially China.That view is changing now. And, Alabama is among the states taking part.

Preliminary figures show 19 coal miners in the U.S. were killed on the job in 2012, down from 21 the previous year. West Virginia led the nation with…