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In addition to waste from mining, landfills and illegal dumps have sprung up in places like Africa and Asia to accommodate the voluminous amount of E-waste from worn out computers, televisions and cell phones. Often these items are burned to extract the copper, resulting in concentrations of rare earth elements and metals, along with lead and other toxic chemicals, being released into the ground and water.
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DAMAGING IMPLICATIONS
Environmental Impacts
Since rare earth metals are not found in concentrated deposits, rare earth elements are usually mined through open pit mining. This involves stripping the surface of the earth using heavy equipment, thus destroying the existing ecosystem. Three major contaminants are often released in the area: radioactive waste, dust and metals. These contaminants are released in different ways, each having different destructive effect on the environment. The ores that are extracted from the earth undergo a refining process. Rare earth elements and metals are often located in rock containing Thorium and Uranium. The extraction, separation, and refining operations often release substances bearing waste into the ground and water. Water can be contaminated in three ways: sedimentation, acid drainage, and metals deposition. Once contaminated, water is very difficult to restore to its original quality. The crushing and grinding necessary to refine the rare earths also releases toxic metals and radioactive dust into the air. Powerful acids and sulfur are often concentrated in the tailing ponds and runoff from these mines.
Since rare earth metals are not found in concentrated deposits, rare earth elements are usually mined through open pit mining. This involves stripping the surface of the earth using heavy equipment, thus destroying the existing ecosystem. Three major contaminants are often released in the area: radioactive waste, dust and metals. These contaminants are released in different ways, each having different destructive effect on the environment. The ores that are extracted from the earth undergo a refining process. Rare earth elements and metals are often located in rock containing Thorium and Uranium. The extraction, separation, and refining operations often release substances bearing waste into the ground and water. Water can be contaminated in three ways: sedimentation, acid drainage, and metals deposition. Once contaminated, water is very difficult to restore to its original quality. The crushing and grinding necessary to refine the rare earths also releases toxic metals and radioactive dust into the air. Powerful acids and sulfur are often concentrated in the tailing ponds and runoff from these mines.
In Guangdong province in southeastern China, regulators are struggling to repair rice fields and streams destroyed by acids and other runoff from open-pit rare earth mines. Some Chinese villages have been declared environmental disasters and populations of villagers have been relocated after increasing cases of leukemia and other cancers, and multiple deaths of farm animals in these contaminated areas. Some wells have become undrinkable and carry the heavy stench of sulfur. In addition to waste from mining, landfills and illegal dumps have sprung up in places like Africa and Asia to accommodate the voluminous amount of E-waste from worn out computers, televisions and cell phones. Often these items are burned to extract the copper, resulting in concentrations of rare earth elements and metals, along with lead and other toxic chemicals, being released into the ground and water.
This disturbing video illustrates the issues dumping e-waste is causing in China
This disturbing video illustrates the issues dumping e-waste is causing in China
A pit mine located within a rare metal refinery in Mountain Pass California.
Economic Concerns
China is the leader in mining for precious metals, providing 93% of the world’s rare earth metals! In recent years, China has pushed to reduce the rate which these precious metals are mined for, citing depletion of their valuable resources. Companies outside of China who depend on these rare elements are predicting a shortage of rare elements which has prompted other countries to find alternative sources of precious metals. China already produces much of the world’s electronics, which is why it is beneficial for them to maintain a monopoly of the rare earths mined to make electronics. If the production of electronics outside of China is considerably less, China can strongly influence the price electronics. With China reducing production and restricting export of on rare earth metals, the search for new sources outside of China has increased. [2]
America’s only rare earth mine is the Molycorp Mountain Pass mine in California. For years it provided the majority of the world’s rare earth metals. Molycorp was forced to slow production in 1998 amid an environmental disaster, 100s of thousands of gallons of water containing radioactive waste inundated a nearby lake.[3] While Molycorp was dealing with the backlash from this environmental catastrophe, China was at its peak of rare earth metal production, leading to Mountain Pass eventually closing down in 2002. Molycorp has restarted production in Mountain Pass in 2012 after resolving environmental issues and spending over $1 billion to get production going again. The US government has an interest in providing the environmental permits needed to keep Mountain Pass active because rare earth metals are also needed for clean energy technology. Solar panels, electric cars, and wind turbines all require rare earth metals. [4]
Potential sources for rare earth metals have been identified in Canada, Brazil, Tanzania, Greenland, South Africa and the United States, Australia and Vietnam [5]. While there is a global dependency on rare earth metals, one of the chief countries consuming precious metals is Japan. The Japanese company Mitsubishi has expressed concern about China’s protective nature of their precious metals and has invested in mining outside of China, in locations such as Brazil. [6]
China is the leader in mining for precious metals, providing 93% of the world’s rare earth metals! In recent years, China has pushed to reduce the rate which these precious metals are mined for, citing depletion of their valuable resources. Companies outside of China who depend on these rare elements are predicting a shortage of rare elements which has prompted other countries to find alternative sources of precious metals. China already produces much of the world’s electronics, which is why it is beneficial for them to maintain a monopoly of the rare earths mined to make electronics. If the production of electronics outside of China is considerably less, China can strongly influence the price electronics. With China reducing production and restricting export of on rare earth metals, the search for new sources outside of China has increased. [2]
America’s only rare earth mine is the Molycorp Mountain Pass mine in California. For years it provided the majority of the world’s rare earth metals. Molycorp was forced to slow production in 1998 amid an environmental disaster, 100s of thousands of gallons of water containing radioactive waste inundated a nearby lake.[3] While Molycorp was dealing with the backlash from this environmental catastrophe, China was at its peak of rare earth metal production, leading to Mountain Pass eventually closing down in 2002. Molycorp has restarted production in Mountain Pass in 2012 after resolving environmental issues and spending over $1 billion to get production going again. The US government has an interest in providing the environmental permits needed to keep Mountain Pass active because rare earth metals are also needed for clean energy technology. Solar panels, electric cars, and wind turbines all require rare earth metals. [4]
Potential sources for rare earth metals have been identified in Canada, Brazil, Tanzania, Greenland, South Africa and the United States, Australia and Vietnam [5]. While there is a global dependency on rare earth metals, one of the chief countries consuming precious metals is Japan. The Japanese company Mitsubishi has expressed concern about China’s protective nature of their precious metals and has invested in mining outside of China, in locations such as Brazil. [6]
Collateral Damage
Mining for precious metals is not only complicated by previously discussed political and environmental issues, but also health concerns.
There have been reported cases of radioactive exposure that cause birth defect and leukemia cases at rare earth refinery plants. A Mitsubishi company refinery plant located in Malaysia reported 7 cases that lead to deaths in the early 90’s. They spent $100 million to clean up the site in question. The project included removing at least 11,000 truckloads of material deemed radioactive and burying it in an excavated hill, sealing it with excess of 20 feet granite and clay. These types of cleanup operations are not only costly, but are an attempt to repair a company like Mitsubishi’s damaged image. [7]
Mining for precious metals is not only complicated by previously discussed political and environmental issues, but also health concerns.
There have been reported cases of radioactive exposure that cause birth defect and leukemia cases at rare earth refinery plants. A Mitsubishi company refinery plant located in Malaysia reported 7 cases that lead to deaths in the early 90’s. They spent $100 million to clean up the site in question. The project included removing at least 11,000 truckloads of material deemed radioactive and burying it in an excavated hill, sealing it with excess of 20 feet granite and clay. These types of cleanup operations are not only costly, but are an attempt to repair a company like Mitsubishi’s damaged image. [7]
Sources:
[1] http://www.gelighting.com/LightingWeb/na/resources/understanding-rare-earth-metals.jsp
[2] http://en.chinamining.com.cn/News/2010-05-21/1274404411d36358.html
[3] http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/05/clean-energys-dirty-little-secret/307377/
[4] http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/02/a-visit-to-the-only-american-mine-for-rare-earth-metals/253372/
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare_earth_element
[6] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13593213
[7] http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/business/energy-environment/09rareside.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1415923285-LypR9yEoorQNgbbz7ICAWg
[1] http://www.gelighting.com/LightingWeb/na/resources/understanding-rare-earth-metals.jsp
[2] http://en.chinamining.com.cn/News/2010-05-21/1274404411d36358.html
[3] http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/05/clean-energys-dirty-little-secret/307377/
[4] http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/02/a-visit-to-the-only-american-mine-for-rare-earth-metals/253372/
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare_earth_element
[6] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13593213
[7] http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/business/energy-environment/09rareside.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1415923285-LypR9yEoorQNgbbz7ICAWg