REE

China uses acid solvents to extract rare elements (REE) and this presents an environmental hazard. The result is that the ground water is now contaminated to the point that the Yellow River, water supply to 150 million people, is now unsafe. A new company, Phoenix Tailings is much cleaner. First off, instead of mining the rare earths, Phoenix uses tailings from existing mines, along with coal ash from closed down power plants as the source of rare earths. In processing they do not rely on chemicals but instead use electrolysis to separate out the different metals. This will allow them to catch up with China much sooner and do so in a more environmentally favorable way.