In US, rare earths extracted from coal mine wastewater

Mount Storm (United States) (AFP) - In the Appalachian region stretching through the US state of West Virginia, the reddish water flowing out of retired coal mines is acidic, full of heavy metals and toxic for the environment. But that water is also rich in rare earths, the highly coveted minerals needed for many high-tech products such as smartphones and the clean energy industry that have become…