Why rareearth mining in the West is a bust — High Country ...
Jun 16, 2015· Forget the hype. In the global rush for energycritical elements, our region can't compete. (Environmentally, rareearth mining is generally lowimpact. Extraction is chemical, not thermal — no fuelhungry furnaces — and the chemicals involved are easily neutralized or contained: common acids and bases, water and oils.