The US backs a South Africa project to extract rare earths despite a diplomatic clash

PHALABORWA, South Africa — Two enormous sandlike dunes at an old chemical processing plant in South Africa are at the center of an exploratory U.S.-backed project to extract highly sought-after rare earth elements from industrial mining waste. The Phalaborwa Rare Earths Project has U.S. support through a $50 million equity investment by the government’s International … Read more