Department of the Interior launches effort to recover critical minerals from mine waste
The Department of the Interior is taking decisive steps to recover critical minerals essential to America’s economic strength, national defense, and energy future from mine waste, coal refuse, tailings and abandoned uranium mines. In launching the effort, Secretary Doug Burgum cited “groundbreaking research from the U.S. Geological Survey that identifies promising sources of these minerals.”
from the Department of the Interior news release:
As part of the Department’s broader efforts to support critical mineral production, the Secretary’s Order directs the Department to streamline federal regulations on the recovery of critical minerals from mine waste, while updating guidance to make mine waste recovery projects eligible for federal funding. It also prioritizes review of plans to recover uranium and other minerals from abandoned mines and directs the U.S. Geological Survey, or USGS, to map and inventory federal mine waste sites.
This transformative action is set to bolster the U.S. economy, enhance national security, and promote environmental stewardship by utilizing mineral resources that have been overlooked for too long.
Additionally, recent research by the USGS, in partnership with state geological surveys, has identified promising sources of strategic minerals like zinc, germanium, tellurium and rare earth elements in legacy and ongoing mining operations.
USGS has conducted multiple studies revealing the wealth of critical minerals hiding in mine waste. For instance, the legacy lead and zinc mining at Tar Creek near Picher, Oklahoma, has left behind waste rich in zinc and germanium—two minerals in which the U.S. relies on imports. In Utah’s Bingham Canyon, significant amounts of tellurium, vital for defense technologies, can be extracted from tailings created during copper mining activities.
“Recovering critical minerals from mine waste is integral to strengthening America’s mineral independence while promoting economic growth and national security,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Scott Cameron. “The collaboration between USGS and state geological surveys exemplifies how science-driven innovation can transform environmental challenges into strategic resources that bolster our industries and defense capabilities.”
Regionally, the Coeur d’Alene silver mining site in Idaho contains approximately \$2.5 billion worth of precious minerals, including antimony and arsenic, illustrating the resources hidden in these waste materials. Rare earth elements, crucial for advanced technologies used in hard drives, electric vehicles, and military applications, have been detected in clay found in coal deposits across the Appalachian and Illinois basins, as reported by the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey.
Improved geological mapping through the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative is uncovering new mineral deposits across Appalachia and the Midwest and is poised to support local economies and meet national mineral demands.
Recovering valuable critical minerals not only addresses environmental challenges but also enhances the nation’s mineral supply, transforming waste into valuable resources. This strategy can also help fund ongoing cleanup efforts at former mining sites.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey