CRITICAL MINERALSFrom Wastes to Resources: Expanding Rare Earth Research to Bolster U.S. Domestic Critical Minerals Supply

A decade ago, West Virginia University researchers were among the first to find rare earth elements in acid mine drainage seeping from retired coal mines. Now, the University is ready to expand that work to help secure a domestic supply of the critical materials essential to modern technology, enhancing national security interests and economic innovation.

To support these efforts, the University is launching the WVU Rare Earth Elements Initiative, or WVU REE. The initiative unites researchers who focus on rare earths and critical minerals as they explore a growing range of U.S. feedstocks. In tandem, WVU has established the for-profit startup, Mission Critical Materials, to commercialize 10 years of the University’s proven AMDREE technology.

“WVU has been at the forefront of this work even before it became a national priority,” Vice Provost Mark Gavin said. “For a decade, we’ve been proving we can extract rare earths from acid mine drainage at coal sites. The WVU REE Initiative aims to double down on our work to emphasize we can produce these critical materials domestically, clean up legacy mining pollution and reduce our dependence on foreign suppliers.”

Rare earth elements power the technologies Americans rely on every day, from smartphones and MRI machines to wind turbines, fighter jets and missile defense systems. Of the 17 rare earth elements, those known as “heavy rare earths” are especially scarce and critical to advanced defense and clean energy technologies. The United States imports nearly all rare earth elements, mostly from China.

WVU research has historically focused on finding “heavies” in places close to home. Faculty and staff have discovered that acid mine drainage, the water that seeps from abandoned coal mines, contains significantly higher proportions of these essential heavies compared to conventional sources found in the U.S. Because acid mine drainage sites already exist and are permitted across the country, the University’s approach can scale quickly and cost effectively. 

WVU rare earth discoveries began in 2016 through the West Virginia Water Research Institute. In 2022, the University collaborated with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection to open the A34 AMDREE Processing Facility in Mount Storm, the first integrated pilot-scale AMD rare earth recovery facility of its kind in the country. A34 proves that acid mine drainage can serve as a continuous domestic source of heavy rare earths while supporting environmental cleanup.