American mining operations routinely discard tailings that contain valuable minerals such as lithium, cobalt, gallium, neodymium, yttrium, and manganese. These elements are critical for electric vehicle batteries, solar panels, electronics, and military systems. Current mining prioritizes gold, copper, and zinc, leaving many critical minerals in waste piles. The wasted lithium could power roughly 10 million EV batteries annually, and discarded manganese could contribute to building about 99 million EVs. Recovering these materials from tailings could transform the US from a net importer to an exporter, generate billions in revenue, and create thousands of jobs, while also requiring responsible environmental management.
In fact, researchers estimated that US mines waste enough lithium every year to power 10 million electric car batteries. Meanwhile, American mines throw away enough manganese, another car battery mineral, to help build 99 million EVs. The study found that if the US started using this hidden goldmine, the country could shift from being an importer of minerals who spends billions on these resources to an exporter that makes billions and potentially creates thousands of new jobs.
The mineral waste researchers examined, known as 'tailings,' is the leftover rock and material after miners extract its main product, like gold or copper. These tailings are usually piled up and stored, which can harm the environment if not managed properly. The study, published in the journal Science, found that these waste piles contain valuable elements, such as neodymium and yttrium, that could be recovered and used to make EVs, wind turbines, radars, laser targeting systems, and missiles.
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