While rare earth elements are “essential ingredients for our modern lives,” up to 82% of rare earth elements are imported from other countries, notes Aaron Noble, Virginia Tech professor and head of the Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering and interim head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Why are these rare earth elements so critical to modern…
Read MoreDay: September 2, 2025
Hudbay resumes Snow Lake operations
Canadian miner Hudbay Minerals has resumed operations in Snow Lake following the decision by the Manitoba Wildfire Service and the Town of Snow Lake to lift the mandatory wildfire evacuation order. “The emergency preparedness and extensive community response efforts were successful in safeguarding Hudbay’s surface infrastructure and facilities in Manitoba during the wildfires,” said John O’Shaughnessy, vice president of Hudbay’s…
Read MoreEquinox Gold advances Canadian operations, adds new leadership
Equinox Gold has provided an update on its cornerstone Canadian mining operations: the Valentine gold mine in Newfoundland & Labrador and the Greenstone gold mine in northern Ontario. “I am pleased to announce that our Valentine gold mine has begun processing ore through its 2.5-million-tonne-per-annum facility. We expect to pour first gold within the next month, marking another important milestone…
Read MoreAppeals court blocks land swap
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court has blocked a proposed land swap that would allow construction of the Resolution Copper mine in Arizona. The ruling came the night before the public lands about 40 miles east of Phoenix were expected to be transferred to the company. Conservation and recreation groups, the Inter Tribal Association of Arizona, and the San Carlos Apache…
Read MoreCopAur Minerals offloads Bolo stake
CopAur Minerals has sold its minority interest (49.99%) in the Bolo gold project to majority owner Allegiant Gold as it turns its focus on advancing its Kinsley Mountain oxide-gold project in Nevada. Under the terms of the agreement, Allegiant will pay a cash consideration and forgive certain debt obligations owed to Allegiant by CopAur for historical advanced royalty and claim…
Read MoreSnow Lake offers to buy Horse Heaven
Resolution Minerals has received an unsolicited, indicative, and non-binding offer from Snow Lake Resources to acquire the Horse Heaven project in Idaho for A$225 million. The proposal outlines the acquisition via a combination of cash and Snow Lake shares, with the ratio to be agreed upon. The Resolution Minerals board of directors has started to review the offer. The board…
Read MoreInterior Department approves Rosebud expansion
The Department of the Interior has approved a mining plan modification for the Rosebud mine in Rosebud and Treasure counties, Mont. The decision enables the recovery of approximately 33.75 million tons of federal coal and extends the mine’s operation through 2039. The Interior said this marks the second-largest federal coal mine expansion approved since the beginning of the second Trump…
Read MoreCitations vs. Orders:What Every Mine Operator Needs to Know About MSHA Enforcement
Emily Schimelpfenig, a colleague of Willa Perlmutter at Stoel Rives LLP, is guest writing on this issue’s column. Emily is an experienced attorney who represents and advises clients on both Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance, contests, and accident investigations. In this column, Emily breaks down the differences between MSHA citations and…
Read MoreLaurentide to distribute Danfoss drives
Laurentide Controls has expanded its partnership with Danfoss, now officially acting as a distributor of the manufacturer’s drives throughout Eastern Canada. This marks a significant step in strengthening its motor control and automation offering, including Motor Control Centres (MCCs). “This is more than a product line extension,” said Angela Badrieh, vice president of Sales at Laurentide Controls. “It’s a strategic…
Read MoreAquatech unveils PEARL platform
Aquatech has announced the launch of PEARL, a comprehensive technology platform enabling optimized full flow sheet process development and at-scale delivery for the extraction, refining, and purification of lithium. PEARL (Purification, Extraction and Refining of Lithium) enables the production of battery-grade lithium from a diverse range of feedstock, including hard rock, clay, and continental, geothermal, or oilfield brines. It spans…
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