Category: Mines and Mining

China Has Paid a High Price for Its Dominance in Rare Earths

Dust and groundwater contaminated with heavy metals and radioactive chemicals pose a health threat that the authorities have been trying to address for years.
Trump’s Trade and Tax Policies Start to Stall U.S. Battery Boom

Battery companies are slowing construction or reconsidering big investments in the United States because of tariffs on China and the proposed rollback of tax credits.
China Walks a Line in U.S. Trade Talks, Trying Not to Overplay Its Hand

China has leverage it can use by limiting access to its rare earth supplies, but it does not want to sacrifice its reputation as a reliable supplier.
China’s Grip on an Obscure Rare Earth Metal Threatens the West’s Militaries

China produces the entire world’s supply of samarium, a rare earth metal that the United States and its allies need to rebuild inventories of fighter jets, missiles and other hardware.
The Republican Tax Bill Could Sharply Slow E.V. Sales

The measure, passed by the House, would roll back incentives for people to buy electric vehicles and for automakers to make them in the U.S.
Minnesota Iron Miners Lost Their Jobs, But Not Their Faith in Trump’s Tariffs

With demand for steel down and a trade war underway, miners in the Iron Range of Minnesota are feeling the hit. But they hope better times are ahead.
A Toxic Pit Could Be a Gold Mine for Rare-Earth Elements

Mining continues at the Continental Pit. Nearby is the Berkeley Pit, a site for acid mine drainage that poses an opportunity for extracting valuable metals.
U.S. Payoff for Ukraine Minerals Deal Faces Many Hurdles

The agreement could provide a windfall to the U.S., but the resources will be expensive to extract, and any progress is unlikely while the war rages.
Five Takeaways From Trump’s Plan to Rescue Coal

To help the struggling coal industry, President Trump used his executive authority to try to keep aging plants alive and burn more coal for electricity.
Greenland’s Minerals: The Harsh Reality Behind the Glittering Promise

There is excitement about the potentially lucrative resources scattered around the island, especially the rare earths. But extreme weather, fired-up environmentalists and other factors have tempered hopes of a bonanza.
Earth’s 1st Asteroid Mining Prospector Heads to the Launchpad

The dream of mining metals in deep space crashed and burned in the 2010s. AstroForge’s Odin mission to survey a potentially metallic asteroid is packed and ready to lift off.
Ukraine Rejects U.S. Demand for Half of Its Mineral Resources

President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly faulted the American offer, which is tied to continued aid, because it did not include security guarantees.