A WSF rant concludes this post. You have been warned!
What may become a new job source for Wyoming, and a blow to
China’s economy, was recently announced.
The project sounds like results may be years out, but it is
a start. For sure, this project wouldn’t happen under a Democrat
Administration. Wyoming is the largest coal producer in the USA.
Lithium.
80% that we use is imported, mainly from South America.
This extracted from Lithium today.
Rock Springs deposits (Wyoming)
The
latest Lithium development in US comes from researchers at the University of
Wyoming. They’ve found lithium in Rock Springs Uplift, a geological feature in
southwest Wyoming. Data so far suggests that brines from a 25-square-mile area
could contain 228,000 tons of lithium. That’s enough to meet annual U.S.
demand.
Production
of lithium from brines requires soda ash (sodium carbonate), and importation of
soda ash to lithium production facilities often represents a large expense.
However, the Rock Springs Uplift CO2 storage site is located within 20 to 30
miles of the world’s largest industrial soda ash supplies, so the costs of soda
ash delivery (by rail, truck or pipeline) would be minimal.
Magnesium
must be also removed from brines before they can be used for lithium recovery,
which makes the entire lithium recovery process more expensive. Fortunately,
the brines from the Rock Springs Uplift reservoirs contain much less magnesium
than brines at existing, currently profitable lithium mining operations.
As
a last step brines must be heated and pressurized before lithium can be
extracted from them. However, because the Rock Springs Uplift brines lie so far
underground, they are already at a higher pressure and temperature than brines
at existing lithium operations. This would allow operators to essentially
eliminate this step in the process, resulting in significant cost savings.
When I let my
conspiracy theories run amok, I speculate much of the earth hugger activity is
funded by foreign interests focused on two separate goals. Always in first
place, one world assholes. Second, eliminate or curtail domestic USA production
to enhance imports from the producers.
Say your country has a
mineral that the USA needs but you are barely competitive price wise. Spend a
quarter million or so funding domestic saboteurs (excuse me, concerned
citizens), kill or cripple your competition, and reap a bonanza.
Cobalt
The irony of
social justice warriors driving hybrid cars is lost on them. Most of the 60
lbs. of cobalt in their car’s batteries was mined by child slaves in Congo
mines owned and operated by the Chinese.
In spite of all
the regulatory roadblocks, our country’s needs for this critical element may
be, partially, coming home. Information two years old – most current I can
find.
Perhaps the
biggest problem with mining is this; it is ugly. Undisturbed land is suddenly
torn asunder. Then, having scooped up the profits, the operators cut and
run. That needs to stop.
Land reclamation
is feasible. I would direct people’s attention to coal strip mining in the
Yampa River drainage in Northwest Colorado where the land is reclaimed. It may
not be Ansel Adams pristine, but the land isn’t ugly, and provides forage for
the local fauna.
Personal
Years ago, Steamboat
Springs, CO had a sawmill that burned their scrap (common practice at the
time). The smoke sometimes drifted into town. One day, my father was stopped by
a resident who said,
“Bob, isn’t
this smoke terrible!”
My father
paused, sniffed the air, and said,
“I smell a
payroll”.
This is where I
come in hard. Jobs! Much of my extended family is involved in mining, oil, or
associated businesses. The same can be said for many of my friends. Keep, and
bring back, these jobs. Keep the rural areas economically viable.
A welfare state
needs cities to corral and control the population, IMO. I will defer to those
readers from Appalachia because I don’t know how things work there, but I
suspect, not too well.
Come November,
we will find out if progress will continue, or our way of life will be gone.
As always, YMMV
12 comments:
Good for your Dad!
Today they'd be burning their scrap wood in a "Co-generation Plant", and producing their own electricity from it.
Maybe with enough excess capacity to sell some and further recoup their investment!
He was a firm proponent of the 'belly flapping principal'. Taught his children, and we have taught ours.
When I first read the title, I though that it said, "Ass to Cash" and that could only mean that you were managing the coven in a commercial enterprise. Then I read on.
Lithium was one of the reasons that Tesla was thinking of moving to Reno. It would be even better if they could relocate to Wyoming. The cobalt issue is touchy and the Chinese don't care how many slaves die. Nobody protests that and the progs glory in their electric cars.
I hope that it turns out to be what everyone hopes that it will be.
LL
The logical place for a processing plant is the Rock Springs area. The Californians, should Tesla move there, would experience cultural shock. Of all the tough towns in Wyoming, Rock Springs may be the toughest railroad town. In recent years the Mafia has been tamed, or so people want to believe. Great transportation! Interstate 80, the UP Main Line, and a close by all weather airport with a long runway and a decent terminal building.
Wyoming has no personal income tax and the corporate rate runs 4%-10%.
Downside? The winters are a bitch!
One of our cousins worked for 30+ years at the Soda Ash plant in Rock Springs. It is a tough town and tougher people. I met some of his retired co-workers a year ago for lunch. Interesting conversations for over an hour and I have much respect for the hard & dirty work that they did.
A place that produces hard people. The weak get run out.
Yep, keeping the US from exploiting our OWN resources is a double edged sword. And of course the usual suspects are being paid to keep that development from happening. Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is largely funded by China.
OldNFO
As the saying goes, "Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get me".
I live in a county that was the top producer of coal back in the sixties. In the late '70's a State law was passed that all mined land had to be returned to its original condition after minerals were removed.
It increased the cost of coal, but that former mined land suddenly became attractive "waterfront" property.
We're simply gonna have to pay more for the things we need, BUT...
In the long run it means more jobs, and better life.
Exciting.
GB
Exactly!
The area of Northern Illinois I grew up in was rich in coal deposits that were "Strip Mined" back in the 1800's to power Chicago and the steel mills in the area, as well as heating homes and factories. In the 1960's, much of the land was reclaimed, turning into private lakes and "Rod & Gun Clubs". Some of my friends had summer homes (more like "cabins") on the lakes, and we used to go boating, water skiing, and dirt bike riding in the hills surrounding the lakes. Now that the replanted trees and landscaping have all grown up in those areas, and they look quite beautiful, the "middle class" tenants and their "junky shacks" were bought out or run out, and "Luxury Homes" were planted there, very similar to what Greybeard describes.
Progress can be ugly in many ways.
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