China’s bad record on rare earths radioactive contamination

simonthongwh, 2 June “………, China has secured more than 95 per cent of the rare earths market. …..Though China denies exploiting its market position, it has created stockpiles, is seeking overseas involvement in companies such as Lynas and operates an export quota system, comparable to that used by the OPEC oil cartel…….
though abundant in the Earth’s crust, extracting earths individually from a ”cocktail” of earths within ores, sands and clays is – at any price – ”a difficult, time-consuming, costly and dirty business”.

Until recently, at least, China’s pre-eminence in the business has been built on cheap labour and, according to critics, minimal health, safety and environmental precautions. China has now moved to impose stricter standards, and cracked down on illegal mining and smuggling, but the social, health and environmental legacy of existing projects is horrific.