West Virginia
Demand for rare elements used in clean energy could help clean up abandoned coal mines in Appalachia
In the hills of West Virginia, researchers are hoping to realize a long-term dream of cleaning up poisonous groundwaters that flow out of old coal mines.
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. Resear... [7655 chars]