USGS Looking at Mining Waste for Critical Minerals

May 14, 2025--Written by Daniel Graeber for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--States are called on to compete for $5 million in support funding to find critical minerals in mining waste, the U.S. federal government said. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said its state counterparts could compete for funding through the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI) program. The initiative, in place since 2018, was supported further by executive action this year to ensure the United States has adequate supplies of critical minerals such as lithium, necessary for the batteries that power everything from flashlights to vehicles. The Interior Department in 2022, under former President Joe Biden, outlined a list of 50 separate minerals it deemed critical. Jamey Jones, a science coordinator for the Earth MRI program, said the USGS is now looking to work with the states to get a better understanding of the domestic availability of these minerals, including in mining waste.