Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Reviving California's Mountain Pass Mine Amid National Security Concerns

1/1/2025

24 3

Summary

Story summary

Rare earth elements, crucial for high-tech innovations, once flowed from California's Mountain Pass mine, which shuttered in 2002 due to escalating costs and fierce competition from China. As national security worries grew, efforts to revive the mine surged in the 2010s, though the slightly radioactive carbonatite deposit poses challenges for extraction.

1 of 1

Story summary

Rare earth elements, crucial for high-tech innovations, once flowed from California's Mountain Pass mine, which shuttered in 2002 due to escalating costs and fierce competition from China. As national security worries grew, efforts to revive the mine surged in the 2010s, though the slightly radioactive carbonatite deposit poses challenges for extraction.