Can Pennsylvania’s mine waste provide a domestic supply of critical minerals?

Critical minerals, including rare earth elements, are needed for all of our green technologies -- electric vehicles, wind turbines, and solar panels - as well as for smart phones, flat screen TVs, and rechargeable batteries. Yet the United States depends heavily on imports from other countries for its supply of these materials. Researchers at Penn State’s Center for Critical Minerals have found a potential domestic source in Pennsylvania’s mine waste.