On February 28, tripartisan  Senate Resolution 229 (Dush-R-Jefferson, Yudichak-I-Luzerne, Flynn-D-Lackawanna) was introduced directing the Joint State Government Commission to study the economic, environmental and health impacts related to the development of a critical and rare earth mineral industry in Pennsylvania (sponsor summary).

The resolution puts a spotlight on research that has been underway at Penn State and other places on rare earth and critical minerals in coal, coal waste, coal fly ash, acid mine drainage and other potential sources for some time.

“Given the breakthroughs in the critical mineral reclamation processes at our very own Penn State University, Pennsylvania may be able to be on the forefront of the industry,” said Sen. Cris Dush.  “The availability of these minerals in our own backyard may lead to a rebirth of Pennsylvania’s manufacturing industry.”

The study required in the resolution is due within one year of passage.

The resolution is now in the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee for consideration.

Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) serves as Majority Chair of the Senate Environmental Committee and can be contacted by calling 717-787-3280 or sending email to: gyaw@pasen.gov.   Sen. Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by calling 717-787-5709 or sending email to: senatorcomitta@pasenate.com.

Background

Rare earth minerals are critical to the refining of petroleum products and the manufacture of all sorts of electronic components for clean energy, batteries, aerospace, automotive and defense industries.

The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee held a hearing January 10 of this year on the “benefits and challenges related to extracting and utilizing rare earth minerals found within Pennsylvania” that provided a factual background on this issue. (See resource links below.)

Surprisingly, 75 percent of rare earth minerals are used as oil refining catalysts and to make catalytic converters for vehicles, according to DCNR’s Bureau of Geologic Survey.

Only about 6 percent are used in alloys for batteries, fuel cells, LED and LCD, flat panel displays and screens and steelmaking, but the clean energy-related segment is growing.

Penn State University has been doing important research into rare earth minerals in abandoned mine drainage, coal and other sources and established a Center for Critical Minerals in 2019 to help guide this research.

The U.S. Department of Energy and its National Energy Technology Laboratory in Pittsburgh have similar efforts underway and have been awarding grants to support these initiatives at Penn State and around the country.

Groups like the Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation have been attempting to highlight the economic potential and environmental benefits of rare earth minerals for some time, in particular to support mine drainage treatment efforts.  Read more here.

(Photo: Abandoned mine drainage is a potential source of rare earth minerals.)

Resource Links:

-- House Environmental Resources & Energy Committee hearing on rare earth minerals January 10, 2022 - Video of Hearing + Transcript of Hearing

-- Testimony from House Hearing:

     -- Dr. Gale Blackmer, Director, DCNR Bureau of Geological Survey - Presentation

     -- Dr. Sarma Pisupati, Director, Penn State’s Center for Critical Minerals

     -- Dr. Pete Rozelle, Advisor, Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences

     -- Anthony Marchese, Texas Mineral Resources, partnership with Penn State - Presentation

(Courtesy PA Council of Professional Geologists.)

Related Articles:

-- Penn State: Battery Metals From Abandoned Mine Wastewater: Potential Economic Benefits For Pennsylvania  [2021

-- New Sensor Can Detect Valuable Rare Earth Elements In Mine Drainage, Other Non-Traditional Sources [2021]

-- New Acid Mine Drainage Treatment Turns Waste Into Valuable Rare Earth Minerals [2020]

-- U.S. Dept. Of Energy Awards $1.95 Million For Conceptual Designs For Rare Earth Mineral Extraction From Coal Sources, Including 4 PA Projects [2020]

-- DOE Grant To Penn State Continues Research Into Rare-Earth Elements Extraction From Coal [2017]

-- Study Will Determine Amount Of Rare Earth Elements In Coal Mining Waste [2016]

-- Penn State: Extracting Rare Earth Elements From Coal Could Soon Be Economical In U.S. -2016]

NewsClips:

-- Inquirer: Andrew Maykuth: Pennsylvania Oil Refineries Use Significant Amount Of Russian Crude Oil

-- The Atlantic: America’s Energy Security Is Falling Apart - No Matter How Much Oil/Gas The U.S. Drills, We Are Dangerously Dependent On International Market Whims

            “Today, America is the world’s largest oil and gas producer, but instead of winning us energy independence, this distinction has made the country dangerously dependent on market whim.

“No matter how much oil the U.S. drills, crude prices are still set on the international market—so when Russia invaded Ukraine, oil prices in America soared.

“This point alone invalidated the central principle of energy independence, that suburban F-150 drivers should not have to pay more at the pump because someone else started a war.”

Related Articles - This Week:

-- 6th Oil/Gas Shock: Listen To What Europe Says They Need - Not What The U.S. Oil/Gas Industry Wants

-- Guest Essay: Pennsylvania And Virginia Face Fight Of Their Lives - [What The Coal, Natural Gas Industries Want In PA]  By Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming)

-- Guest Essay: PA Republican Suggestions To Make Us More Dependent On Fossil Fuels Will Not Secure Our Energy Future - By  Rep. Nancy Guenst (D-Montgomery), U.S. Army Veteran & Rep. Joseph G. Webster (D-Montgomery), U.S. Air Force Colonel, Retired

-- PA League Of Women Voters: Let's Have A Cleaner, Healthier Energy Future For Pennsylvania

-- Vesper Energy Developing 200 MW Solar Energy Project In Lawrence County

-- Community College Of Allegheny County Flipped The Switch On Completed Solar Energy Installation

-- University Of Pittsburgh Announces Climate Action Plan To Go Carbon Neutral By 2037 

Related Articles:

-- New European Commission REPowerEU Plan Does Not Justify Dramatic Increase In Drilling, Gas Infrastructure Build Out PA Natural Gas Politicians Are Calling For

-- Guest Essay: Our Addiction To Fossil Fuels Fuel War: ‘Only Truly Addicted People Chase After Their Next Hit With Singular Focus As The Consequences Of Their Addiction Pile Up Around Them’ - By Rev. Mitchell C. Hescox, Evangelical Environmental Network

-- PA Natural Gas Politicians Want To ‘Unleash’ PA’s Gas Industry - What We Need First Is For Industry To Divert LNG To Europe; Take Up The Slack; Oil & Gas 2.0; True Energy Independence  

-- Oil & Gas Industry And Their Politicians Are Pushing Hard To Hook Us To Volatile Foreign Energy Markets Where There Is No Limit On What They Can Charge You

-- 2 Republican Senators Lay Out Agenda For Deregulating Oil & Gas Industry, Power Plants In PA

-- Republican Senators Propose Gas Drilling On At Least 22,000 More Acres Of State Forest, Mining 920 Acres Of Coal Under A State Park To Pay For DCNR Infrastructure Backlog 

-- DEP Budget Hearing: Unconventional Natural Gas Industry Didn’t Drill 40% Of The Wells It Had DEP Permits For

-- Conventional Oil & Gas Drillers Pay Only $46,100 Of The $10,600,000 It Costs DEP To Regulate That Industry; Taxpayers May Be Asked To Pay The Difference

-- Senate Budget Hearings: PA’s Experience With New Pipeline Construction Shows State Laws Not Strong Enough To Prevent Environmental Damage, Protect Public Safety

[Posted: March 16, 2022]

3/21/2022