Twin Metals Mine (MN, USA)
Nickel and Copper in a Pristine Environment
This is a site that has been attempted to be started by a foreign operation and has been shut down by Minnesota authorities, citing risks to the environment. The site location is located near to the Boundary Waters in Ely, Minnesota, and where copper is part of the equation, there is risk of acid leachate causing environmental issues to the lakes and aquifers.
The original proposal offered an underground mining project that would in theory help reduce runoff, but otherwise was designed as a typical mining operation. Understanding that this is an extremely sensitive area, the project would require customizations in order to appropriately reduce the risk.
In general, open pit mining is a problem because it is fully exposed to the elements. When it rains, the water runs over the exposed copper and nickel ore, sending acidic particulate into the watershed. This particular region apparently has a different ore type that does not produce the kinds of acid runoff as occurs in other areas, but the issue of chemical runoff (versus water recycling and chemical reprocessing/storage) is of primary importance.
The theoretical proposed solution i have considered is a fully covered open pit mine, constrained by an exterior vertical wall barrier, helping to reduce the flow of surface water into the cuts and diverting lower watershed movement around the mining area. By covering the pit in its entirety, using pumps to remove any water in the cut quickly and directly, and moving the ore in to be stored and processed on-the-fly on site, the concerns about acid mining runoff and the use of trucks to move ore around the local environment would be mitigated.
This preparation work would be extensive and expensive, and studies would have to be done to measure its efficacy. Most of mining accidents regarding environmental contamination comes with the leachate handling and the structural components used to store the waste material. It would be a secondary aim to eliminate leachate runoff in its entirety by using multiple stages of ore processing, followed by drying of the waste material and recirculation of the water used from the ore processing. As with the cut itself, waste ore particulate, after being compacted and dried, would be either stored for alternative uses (cement production), alternative processing for heavy metals and other tertiary mineral components, but ultimately would be directed into cover without risk of being converted into a hazardous waste stream with contamination potential.
Pulsar Helium (MN, USA)
Helium Harvest for High Speed Rail
Trapped Helium has been discover in Minnesota.
Helium is notoriously difficult to capture and store.
While Hydrogen has been the proposed element for liquid cooling for the purpose of inducing magnet superconductivity in the Maglev lines, Helium is the "preferred" element assuming that material science and pipeline manufacture can appropriately handle it. It might be the case that stationary Helium cooling units would serve as an additional component to a Hydrogen pipeline system, since Hydrogen is more abundant and easier to contain. Particularly, where train-bound coolant tanks are used, where the supply is limited, and the tanks small and sealed, Helium might be the more cost-effective solution.
Jervois Mining - Cobalt (ID, USA)
A Stalled Mine in Need of an American Owner
While Cobalt has slightly fallen out of favor in terms of Electric Vehicle chemistries due to reliance on African mines typically staffed by children, a domestic US supply does not have that issue.
The primary aim of obtaining a cobalt supply is for the purpose of steel alloying, which would aid in cold weather hardness and fracture resistance of pipes and structural members, including traditional rails.
Some American EV manufacturers such as General Motors rely on cobalt for their batteries. "Ultium" is the brand name for that battery package.
Koba Resources - Cobalt (ID and NV, USA)
Salmon Mountains, Idaho and Goodsprings, Nevada
Koba Resources is an exploration company with mining claims around the area of the Jervois claim. They also have a high Co-content claim in Goodsprings, NV which has a high priority for exploration and development.
Koba is an Australian outfit with interest in Gold, Copper, Cobalt, and Uranium. They raised $9M prior to 2022, and have a reported market cap of $26M.
Arizona Copper (AZ, USA)
Copper-Gold Projects Abound in Arizona
Canada Nickel (Sudbury, ON, CA)
Crawford Mine at Timmins - Green Nickel for the Coming Age
Sudbury itself is a "gold mine" so to speak, when it comes to Copper and Nickel reserves. Exploration and agreements are underway, but the entire endeavor is likely to need billions to bring up to scale. Most mines cost at a minimum of $300M, which is after $30M-100M in exploration and startup development costs. That isn't including any connective logistics infrastructure.
Part of the rail grid includes a connection between Duluth, MN alongside Lake Superior, connecting to a small Canadian town that is roughly on line with the proposed Canadian Transcontinental line, which is itself bypassing the general Sudbury area. It would then be the purpose to lay the groundwork between Duluth and Timmins for the purpose of establishing an American ore processing nexus near the border to Canada, which would then serve the previously mentioned American Twin Metals mine and accommodate the burgeoning Copper and Nickel industry across the border in Canada as well.
Copper is integral to both motors and magnetic flux generation in relation to Maglev and EV interests. Nickel is used in certain EV battery chemistries (one which Elon Musk has explicitly made calls for development of), and acts as a crucial alloying elememt for steel and aluminum.
In order to bring the cost down for the entire project, producing a sufficient supply of critical materials "in house" is arguably ideal.