Rare Earth Metals

While rare earth metals have been in the news for many years, we are hearing more about them due to the recent deal with Ukraine, Trump’s desire to annex Greenland, and tariffs on China, but what does it all mean?

Rare earth metals aren’t exactly rare. They are everywhere. They are available in more abundant quantities than gold. What they are is very polluting.

There are two primary ways to mine rare earths. The first involves removing the topsoil, transporting it to a leaching pond, and adding chemicals (such as ammonium sulfate and ammonium chloride) to separate out the metals. The chemicals used in this separation process can create air pollution, cause erosion, and leach into groundwater. The second processing method involves drilling holes into the ground, inserting PVC pipes and rubber hoses, and pumping chemicals to flush out the earth. The resulting slurry is then pumped into leaching ponds to separate out the rare-earth metal.