Demand for rare elements used in clean energy could help clean up abandoned coal mines in US
Voice of America
FILE - Dave Hoffman of West Virginia University's Water Research Institute holds up a vial of light rare earth oxides at a facility that separates them from acidic groundwater draining from an abandoned coal mine, June 25, 2024, in Mount Storm, W.Va. FILE - Dave Hoffman, left, and Paul Ziemkiewicz of West Virginia University's Water Research Institute check on clarifying pools at a facility they run where rare earth minerals are separated from acidic groundwater, June 25, 2024, in Mount Storm, W.Va. FILE - West Virginia University's Water Research Institute runs this facility where rare earth minerals are separated from acidic groundwater draining from an abandoned coal mine, June 25, 2024, in Mount Storm, W.Va.
Down a long gravel road, tucked into the hills in West Virginia, is a low-slung building where researchers are extracting essential elements from an old coal mine that they hope will strengthen the nation's energy future.
