WHEATLAND – With a desire to understand the actual impacts that developing a domestic supply of critical mineral and rare earth resources will have on American communities both socially and economically, the National Renewable Energy Lab, based in Golden, Colorado, has partnered with Boston University’s Dr. Alexander Dunlap, a research fellow for the Institute for Global Sustainability, to conduct a survey of several communities in the western U.S. which have been, are, or may potentially be affected by mining projects for various critical materials utilized in modern-day technology production.
Critical materials are non-fuel minerals, elements, substances, or materials important for economic and national security and at high risk of supply chain disruption, including lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements.

The first stop for their inquiries were the Wheatland and Laramie communities where a potential rare earth mine is being researched for development. Laura Supple of NREL, and Dr. Dunlap, who are in no way connected to the mining company, have been listening to the opinions of various officials and the public on what they believe the positive and negative impacts will be – or has been – on the community. Last week, nearly two dozen Platte County residents gathered at a focus group listening session to voluntarily share their opinions on the proposed rare earth mine and the community impact. The overwhelming consensus revealed in the listening session was that the general public does not have enough information about a mine that will definitely impact their community, and most of their opinions are based on third- or fourth-party reports or rumor. The locals who gathered to share their opinion were disappointed they were not able to learn more about the proposed mine, and emphasized they wanted to hear from the company themselves in some form of town hall to get clear facts on the company’s plans for the area.
The comments gathered in the NREL survey in Platte County will be anonymized and combined with comments from other communities affected by the mining industry to create a report demonstrating a picture of the impacts modern day mining operations have, both positive and negative, on U.S. communities.
NREL is a non-profit, publicly accessible facility that is the U.S. Department of Energy’s primary national laboratory for energy systems research and development. According to its website, nrel.gov, “NREL bridges foundational research with practical applications across fuels, storage, buildings, renewables, and emerging technologies…and accelerates energy innovation to market and delivers resilient systems that lower costs, bolsters national security, and ensures abundant energy.”
Boston University’s Institute for Global Sustainability, according to their website (https://www.bu.edu/igs/), “…Pioneers research to advance a sustainable and equitable future. Our focus on planetary and environmental health, climate governance and sustainability transitions, and energy systems of a future is grounded in equity and justice, robust data analysis, and real-world impact.”