Rare earth elements like those used to make high-powered magnets and the batteries found in electric cars could be mined from existing coal mines in Utah. This is according to an April study led by the University of Utah.
For assistant professor of Geology and Geophysics and study co-author Lauren Birgenheier, the research indicates that the extraction of these rare earth elements “could occur within 5 to 10 years.” But that’s not as simple as it might seem.
“I think the main thing we don’t know is where it’s most viable.”
That means researchers still need to determine whether these elements are found in high enough concentrations to justify their extraction.
“I still can’t calculate the volume of resources,” he said. “Until we can do that, it’s a bit hypothetical.”
In fact, rare earths are not that “rare” at all.
According to the Institute of History of Science Museum and Library, some rare earth elements are as common as copper or tin in the Earth’s crust. What makes them rare is that they are rarely found in high concentrations and are usually very difficult to extract and process.
Another motivator for domestic extraction is that the vast majority of the world’s rare earths are mined and processed abroad, specifically in China.
The research also presents an interesting puzzle: these elements that could accelerate the transition to greener forms of energy are located in the same place as the fossil fuels they are meant to replace. They are not found in the coal itself, but mainly in bands of shale and siltstone immediately above and below the coal deposits.
“There is an obvious tension here in the sense that in our minds we like to classify energy based on fossil fuels: coal, oil and gas. These have high carbon emissions,” Birgenheier said. “If we really build the infrastructure for clean energy technologies, we need the land resources to make those things.”
That’s not to say that all mining is bad. In this case, if the concentrations of rare earth elements are determined to be economically viable, it could be positive.
“In general, we support mining where there is already mining,” said Kate Groetzinger, communications manager at the Center for Western Priorities.
“We support mining that does not disturb new lands. …And that’s generally a good thing because we need these rare earth (elements). We need to get them from somewhere. Why not get them from somewhere that has already been disturbed?
Where mining gets complicated is when efforts to access rare earth elements occur alongside fossil fuel mining.
This year, the Utah Legislature passed laws that many see as propping up the coal industry, something Birgenheier believes could, overall, “be helpful in stepping up these secondary development efforts for other types of resources, like critical minerals.”
But that’s not good news for environmental groups like the Center for Western Priorities. For them, any new or expanded coal mining, even one that could accelerate the transition to fossil fuels, is unacceptable.
“Until we know whether these rare earth deposits are profitable and of high quality, there is really no reason to believe that coal mining should continue exclusively to extract these mineral deposits,” Groetzinger said. “It’s essentially like using new printer paper just so you can recycle it. “It’s a net zero.”
But coal consumption in the United States is declining. As mines continue to close across the country, opportunities to extract these rare earth elements domestically could follow.
“I think it would be quite difficult to reopen an underground mine just for this purpose,” Birgenheier said. “That’s why we focus most of our research on active mines.”
An informative note: Kate Greotzinger is a former KUER reporter.
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