Editorial: Phoenix Tailings may breathe new life into old industry

If Congress passes its proposed Inflation Reduction Act — and even if it doesn't — America will be standing at the cusp of a seismic shift to electric vehicles. This will remake the American automotive and energy industries, which are likely to carry the American economy on its shoulders. A tiny but essential component of the batteries and magnets that power these vehicles is made up of rare earth elements. Contrary to their name, rare earth metals are relatively plentiful. But they are difficult to mine because they are widely scattered. They have also been difficult and expensive to process because to do so takes a tremendous amount of heat and dangerous chemicals. As it stands, we depend heavily on China for these metals, a situation that has alarmed, among others, the Department of Defense, whose advanced weapons systems and fighter jets also depend on these elements. As such, the DoD and U.S.Geological Survey (USGS) have been identifying potential sources for these metals and offering financial incentives to companies that can extract them in ways that use less energy and have fewer potential environmental risks. One such company is Phoenix Tailings of Massachusetts, which has developed technology that extracts the elements without the dangerous chemicals and half the heat of the traditional process. Phoenix is interested in the Adirondacks because mountainous piles of mine waste west of Lake Champlain happen to be rich in rare earth elements. Representatives of the company visited Essex County supervisors last month to propose a pilot project at the old Barton Hill mine in Moriah in order to test drive the new technology. As proposed, an on-site plant would essentially refine old mining wastes a second time, extracting rare metals as well as iron that was left behind by the less efficient technologies of a half-century ago. Supervisors were enthusiastic about the plan, and rightly so. This is an opportunity for old mines to live a second life, for the economy in poorer communities to get a needed boost and for the North Country to make a strong contribution to a new national energy buildout. To its credit, Phoenix is not overhyping these metals as an immediate fix for struggling North Country economies. This is one step in a years-long process that will involve many steps and many players. It should also be pointed out that start-ups such as these frequently fail to deliver the hoped-for result. Yet trial and error is essential for American innovation, and If Phoenix doesn't succeed it seems likely someone will. Phoenix, or any company delving into North Country tailings piles, will need to work with state environmental regulators, who will, as they should, make sure the new industry is compatible with Adirondack ecology. We hope the Adirondack Park Agency will take a proactive interest in rare-earth technology so as not to be caught flat-footed as it was with a proliferation of North Country solar farms. Understanding the process and what's at stake both locally and nationally will be key to expedient, informed decisions. We also hope the Department of Environmental Conservation will give fast, open and fair consideration as well. That state has treated Moriah — a poor town without the political and monied Albany connections of wealthier Adirondack communities — shabbily of late, closing a progressive and successful prison for no good reason, and dinking around with Moriah Hydro, a project that would store solar and wind power for use at night. The treatment of both has been an embarrassing performance on the part of evidence-averse state bureaucrats, who seemingly made up their minds before evaluating the facts. New technologies don't always work as hoped. And the state's due diligence is of course a requirement for any industrial project, particularly one that's never been tried before. But the value of a secure source of rare-earth elements in the United States cannot be overstated, and Phoenix should be given every opportunity to prove its case without the foot-dragging and goalpost-moving that is too often typical of state regulators.

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Editorial: Phoenix Tailings may breathe new life into old industry

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