Groups reject claims that new way to mine rare earth isn’t damaging

Environmentalists and activists reject claims that in-situ leaching for rare earth is not environmentally damaging.

They said even though it might not cause as much above-ground clearing as open mining, the pumping of ammonium sulphate into the ground to extract rare earth over a period of years poses a risk of groundwater pollution, which could contaminate drinking water sources for hundreds of thousands of households.