⚠️ Rare earth rush risks

For generations, the economy of the small Brazilian town of Minaçu, in the center-western state of Goiás, was tied to one of the most antiquated mineral industries: the extraction and export of asbestos, the cheap, fibrous construction material banned in scores of countries worldwide due to its known carcinogenic properties.

Minaçu’s Cana Brava asbestos mine remains open — and will do so for the foreseeable future. However, while the toxic substance appears on the city’s coat of arms and in its municipal anthem, Brazil’s only asbestos hub is finally switching its main focus to the 21st century. The small town of around 27,000 people is now hooked on rare earth elements.

Regarded as crucial for the future of technology and the energy transition, rare earths have gone from an obscure part of the periodic table to the center of geopolitics — and Brazil is home to some of the world’s second-largest known reserves, seeing billions in investment flowing into projects in Minaçu and elsewhere.

But amid this frenzy, little time has been spent considering the physical reality of extracting these elements in Brazil. In fact, these concerns have been largely sidelined in Brazil’s regulatory push to fast-track production. Pending legislation on rare earths and other “critical minerals” has prioritized speed of licensing, which critics warn could result in flimsy permits and future disasters…

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