US targets mine waste to boost local critical minerals supply

[Redator]

The US government has launched a new effort to extract valuable critical minerals, including rare earths, lithium, cobalt, and uranium, from mine waste and abandoned sites, aiming to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers and strengthen domestic production.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has ordered a series of regulatory changes to streamline federal oversight and fast-track projects recovering minerals from coal refuse, tailings, and shuttered uranium mines. 

The directive includes updated guidance to make these recovery projects eligible for federal funding and requires faster review timelines for new proposals. It also directs the US Geological Survey to map and inventory mine waste on federal lands to identify sites rich in critical minerals. 

Research by the USGS and state geological agencies has already revealed promising sources, including tellurium in tailings at Utah’s Bingham Canyon copper mine and zinc and germanium in waste from the long-abandoned Tar Creek mines in Oklahoma. Rare earth elements have also been found in clay associated with coal seams in the Appalachian and Illinois basins.

“This initiative reflects our unwavering commitment to achieving mineral independence and ensuring that America leads the way in advanced technologies that power our future,” Burgum said in a release. His department controls large swathes of federal land some of it home to abandoned mines and the initiative could turn environmental liabilities into economic assets.

Mine waste could be transformed into a ‘net-zero, multi-billion dollar opportunity’ – study

Acting Assistant Secretary of Lands and Minerals Adam Suess added that streamlining recovery efforts will help “unleash the full potential of America’s mineral resources to bolster national security and economic growth.”

The move builds on Trump’s broader strategy to revitalize the US mineral sector, which has lagged behind global leaders like China in both production and processing. In March, Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to ramp up domestic processing of several key minerals.