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Rare Earth Elements from coal mining could boost Appalachian region

“So this is like standing on an old coal mine that potentially is now a gold mine, because of rare earth elements?” asked reporter Mark Curtis

“That’s a nice way of putting it,” said WVU Professor Paul Ziemkiewicz.

We are standing outside a closed coal mine just south of Morgantown, which may actually signal the future of the coal industry through a mining by-product known as Rare Earth Elements. While they aren’t household names, Rare Earth Elements are used in many products. Cell phones, computers, magnets, and especially in national defense hardware.

“The red phosphor in your television screen, for example, is europium. That’s a Rare Earth Element,” said Paul Ziemkiewicz, WVU Professor and Director of the Water Research Institute.

West Virginia University Professor Paul Ziemkiewicz, is one of those spearheading the one-year old Rare Earth Elements Extraction Facility on campus. Here’s how it works. Coal mines produce pollutants known as acid mine drainage. When it rains, waters passes through this old mine and down a hill carrying the acid mine drainage. But the state built a water treatment plant here. Water comes in, and goes through a clarifying process. The clean water is safely released, but the sludge is pumped back up the hill where it dries and hardens. That sludge – and some of the water – contains those Rare Earth Elements that can be processed and sold.

“Right now the United State imports over 80 percent of its Rare Earth Elements from China. But experts say developing more domestic sources like this, will help the U.S. economically and environmentally,” said Mark Curtis, 13 News Chief Political Reporter.

“The value in that sludge, and this was a few cells ago, was about $850-thousand dollars,” said Professor Ziemkiewicz.

This is what the rare Earth elements look like in their refined state. But there is another benefit beyond the income. The whole process helps restore the environment at mine sites.

“By extracting the Rare Earth Elements, you’re also cleaning up the water. So, the DEP is 100 percent supportive,” said Rob Rice, West Virginia Dept. of Environmental Protection.

“Coal ash and waste products from coal mining is a big problem. If there are some Rare Earths in there that we can generate, and generate some jobs about that. We certainly want to take a look at it,” said Bill Price, of the West Virginia Sierra Club

With the coal industry across Appalachia having lots of ups and down, extracting Rare Earth Elements could boost the economy in coal communities hit by hard times.

“This mine shut down about 20-years ago, but it’s still producing a lot of Rare Earth Elements,” said Dr. Ziemkiewicz.

West Virginia and its five neighboring states, remain among the top coal producers in the nation. The professor recently told congress the region could produce enough Rare Earth Elements to serve all the needs for national defense equipment ever year.

Source: www.wowktv.com