________________________________________________________________________________________ Rare
Earth Elements
Rare earth element oxides that have been refined from ore. Photo credit: Geological Survey intern
That imbalance is the central problem the study addresses. With supply chains under growing geopolitical scrutiny and rare earth elements classified as critical minerals by the US government, the pressure to develop domestic production has never been greater.
“ One reason rare earth elements are classified as critical minerals is because of their vital importance for multiple industrial and technology applications as well as national defense,” says Greg.“ But they also pose a supply chain risk, and disruption of the supply chain could have significant economic and national security consequences. And they’ re essential inputs for the clean energy transition.”
Making the grade
To assess North America’ s potential, the researchers examine tonnage, grade, and total rare earth oxide content at each of the 28 sites. Tonnage refers to how much rare earth-bearing rock sits in the ground; grade refers to the concentration of target elements within that rock. The team also evaluates the presence of complicating minerals; thorium, a radioactive element frequently found alongside rare earths, adds significant disposal costs and directly affects a site’ s economic viability.
The findings are broadly positive, though not without caveats. Apart from the Mountain Pass mine in California( the only site currently
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