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Dumping Critical Minerals: Absurdity of American Policy
At time when U.S. is taking great pains to deal with Ukraine to secure critical minerals for energy, defense, and technology, stunning truth emerges: these resources—cobalt, lithium, gallium, and rare earths like neodymium—are already mined domestically.
The catch? They’re discarded as waste.
A study published in Earth Sciences reveals U.S. mines produce enough critical minerals to meet annual demand, yet policy failures leave them in tailings piles.
Hidden Wealth in Tailings
Elizabeth Holley, associate professor at Colorado School of Mines, shows that U.S. mines, focused on gold, zinc, or copper, produce critical minerals as byproducts.
Cobalt, vital for EV batteries, and germanium, key for defense electronics, end up in tailings—waste needing costly environmental management.
Holley’s team built database of U.S. mine production, paired with geochemical data from U.S. Geological Survey and others, using statistical resampling to estimate unrecovered minerals.
Findings: for all but platinum and palladium, domestic mines could meet U.S. needs with recovery.
Recovering 10% of cobalt from nickel and copper mines could supply U.S. battery market.
Just 1% of germanium from zinc mines could eliminate imports. Holley calls these “low-hanging fruit”—mines where small recoveries yield big gains.
Recovery Challenges
Extracting minerals from tailings is complex. Holley likens it to “getting salt out of bread dough.”
Low concentrations make recovery costly, requiring advanced technologies not yet widespread. Unlike primary minerals driving profits, byproducts like cobalt need R&D for viable extraction. Site-specific studies and pilot projects are critical to scale solutions.
Economic and Geopolitical Risks
Discarding these minerals is strategic error.
U.S. relies on foreign suppliers, often in unstable regions, risking supply chain disruptions. This threatens security and clean energy goals. Recovery could reduce imports and create jobs.
Environmental Gains
Tailings are environmental liability, needing monitoring to prevent contamination. Recovering minerals reduces waste and enables reuse in construction, aligning economic and environmental goals.
Policy Failures
U.S. policy overlooks this potential.
While Inflation Reduction Act and Defense Production Act target supply chains, they focus on new mining or foreign sources. Holley’s study suggests recovery from existing mines.
Needed actions include:
1. R&D Funding: Support recovery technologies. 2. Incentives: Offer tax credits for infrastructure. 3. Site Focus: Prioritize “low-hanging fruit” mines.
Call to Action
U.S. can turn tailings into treasure, reducing imports and advancing energy and defense goals.
Holley’s roadmap highlights mines where small recoveries could transform supply chains.
It’s time to stop dumping critical minerals and start recovering them for sustainable future.
At time when U.S. is taking great pains to deal with Ukraine to secure critical minerals for energy, defense, and technology, stunning truth emerges: these resources—cobalt, lithium, gallium, and rare earths like neodymium—are already mined domestically.
The catch? They’re discarded as waste.
A study published in Earth Sciences reveals U.S. mines produce enough critical minerals to meet annual demand, yet policy failures leave them in tailings piles.
Hidden Wealth in Tailings
Elizabeth Holley, associate professor at Colorado School of Mines, shows that U.S. mines, focused on gold, zinc, or copper, produce critical minerals as byproducts.
Cobalt, vital for EV batteries, and germanium, key for defense electronics, end up in tailings—waste needing costly environmental management.
Holley’s team built database of U.S. mine production, paired with geochemical data from U.S. Geological Survey and others, using statistical resampling to estimate unrecovered minerals.
Findings: for all but platinum and palladium, domestic mines could meet U.S. needs with recovery.
Recovering 10% of cobalt from nickel and copper mines could supply U.S. battery market.
Just 1% of germanium from zinc mines could eliminate imports. Holley calls these “low-hanging fruit”—mines where small recoveries yield big gains.
Recovery Challenges
Extracting minerals from tailings is complex. Holley likens it to “getting salt out of bread dough.”
Low concentrations make recovery costly, requiring advanced technologies not yet widespread. Unlike primary minerals driving profits, byproducts like cobalt need R&D for viable extraction. Site-specific studies and pilot projects are critical to scale solutions.
Economic and Geopolitical Risks
Discarding these minerals is strategic error.
U.S. relies on foreign suppliers, often in unstable regions, risking supply chain disruptions. This threatens security and clean energy goals. Recovery could reduce imports and create jobs.
Environmental Gains
Tailings are environmental liability, needing monitoring to prevent contamination. Recovering minerals reduces waste and enables reuse in construction, aligning economic and environmental goals.
Policy Failures
U.S. policy overlooks this potential.
While Inflation Reduction Act and Defense Production Act target supply chains, they focus on new mining or foreign sources. Holley’s study suggests recovery from existing mines.
Needed actions include:
1. R&D Funding: Support recovery technologies.
2. Incentives: Offer tax credits for infrastructure.
3. Site Focus: Prioritize “low-hanging fruit” mines.
Call to Action
U.S. can turn tailings into treasure, reducing imports and advancing energy and defense goals.
Holley’s roadmap highlights mines where small recoveries could transform supply chains.
It’s time to stop dumping critical minerals and start recovering them for sustainable future.
(Source: Earth Sciences)