Cleanup work at the Pea Ridge Mine south of Sullivan, seen here in October 2010. Photo by J.B. Forbes of the Post-Dispatch.
JEFFERSON CITY — Officials are set to embark on a study of an old iron mine in southeastern Missouri to determine if it could help supply critical minerals used to make electric vehicle batteries or computer chips.
The study, which has been years in the making, is being funded by a nearly $250,000 grant from the federal government.
Of that, about $187,000 will go toward a study of the Pea Ridge iron mine in Washington County to determine if critical minerals are present in the tailings of the shuttered facility.
“Understanding mine waste, its characteristics and where it’s located is key to Missouri’s public health and future economy,” said Missouri Geological Survey geologist Kyle Ganz, a principal investigator for the project. “Mining has taken place since the 1700s in some regions of Missouri. Many of these historic mines were seeking iron back then, and nothing else. Critical minerals may be present in the mine waste tailings of these locations which the original miners had no idea even existed.”
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The two-year grant, which is funded through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, is part of a national effort to reduce the United States’ reliance on China and other foreign countries for elements that are used in the production of electric vehicles, cellphones and medical and defense technologies.
Under an executive order signed by President Joe Biden, federal agencies recommended expanding domestic mining, production, processing, and recycling of critical minerals and materials.
The president also is working with other countries in an attempt to forge alliances in hopes of competing against China’s dominance in the sector.
The United States and Australia, for example, announced a partnership earlier this year to create more environmentally responsible and sustainable supply chains.
Missouri, once a hub for lead and zinc mining, has a lengthy history of mineral production and is among the top 10 mineral-producing states in the nation.
According to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, seven of the 35 minerals considered critical to the economic and national security of the nation are found in Missouri.
In the initial part of the program, the geological survey is planning to complete a geologic map of old mining sites in the state, potentially showing areas that could hold minerals like cobalt, rare earth elements, manganese and others.
James Kennedy, president of Wings Enterprises, demonstrates in October 2010 how much magnetite is in the tailings field at his Pea Ridge Mine south of Sullivan. Kennedy ran a magnet over the ground and had a large amount of magnetite stick. Kennedy planned to extract the magnetite along with other metals from the tailings field. Photo by J.B. Forbes of the Post-Dispatch.
The owners of the former Pea Ridge iron ore mine have sought out federal funding to begin mining for rare earths.
“We chose Pea Ridge Mine tailings as our first project because it was the appropriate size and we had site access permission from the landowner,” Ganz said. “Once this project is complete, we will look to apply for future funding to characterize other mine waste areas in Missouri.”
The program also could affect the pursuit of critical minerals at a Madison County cobalt mine.