As relations between the United States and China deteriorate, one critical industry has emerged as a glaring vulnerability: rare-earth elements (REEs). China holds a commanding monopoly on the production and processing of these minerals, including cobalt, lithium, and nickel. In a recent escalation, China has restricted exports of gallium and...
Another Gypstack Glitch: Can Mosaic’s Phosphogypsum Pile Hold Up?
Trouble seems to keep finding Mosaic's New Wales gypstack in Mulberry, Florida. This week, the fertilizer giant notified the state of a possible tear in the liner beneath the massive pile of mildly radioactive phosphate waste. This isn't a first rodeo for the gypstack: 2016: A 152-foot sinkhole swallowed 215 million...
EPA Cracks Down on Coal Ash Waste as Southern Co. Resists…
EPA Cracks Down on Coal Ash Waste as Southern Co. Resists Tougher Environmental Regs. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a new rule to close a loophole that conservationists claim utilities are exploiting to avoid cleaning up toxic coal ash from retired power plants. The rule would add...