US to Open First Rare-Earth Mine in 70+ Years

Energy Secretary Chris Wright will attend the opening of the first rare earth mine in the United States in more than 70 years.

Taking place on July 11 at Ramaco’s iCAM Technology Center in Ranchester, Wyoming, the event celebrating the Brook Mine Carbon Ore Rare Earth project will host speakers from the national and state levels, according to a press release.

“This is more than a ribbon cutting — it’s a declaration of America’s resolve to reclaim its leadership in critical minerals and energy independence,” Ramaco Resources Chairman and CEO Randall W. Atkins said.

“We are proud that Ramaco will be developing the first new mine to lead the United States in creating a viable domestic supply line of strategic rare earths and critical minerals.”

The event’s speakers will include Wright, Gov. Mark Gordon (R-WY), Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY), and former West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who is now a Ramaco board member.

“Mining our own minerals will help safely and securely power the advanced technologies driving our economy and national defense,” Barrasso said. “And once again, Wyoming’s energy resources are leading the way.”

Lummis echoed Barrasso’s praise of the project, thanking Ramaco for “investing in Wyoming” because it will “produce resources needed to achieve energy independence and grow our economy.”

The Brook Mine project, Wyoming’s first new coal mine in more than 50 years, has been years in the making since Ramaco first submitted its permit application to mine in 2014, according to Global Energy Monitor.

After overcoming many obstacles, the project is a milestone because of its potential to help reduce American reliance on foreign sources of critical minerals. The U.S. uses these minerals for defense, technology, and clean energy, according to the press release.

The largest supplier of U.S. rare earth minerals is China, which made up 70% of U.S. rare earth imports between 2020 and 2023. The U.S. also receives rare earth imports from Malaysia, Japan, and Estonia, according to Statista.

China temporarily suspended the export of several kinds of rare earth minerals to the U.S. in April following President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Chinese imports.