(INDIANAPOLIS) - Indiana is taking another step toward boosting its role in the global supply of critical minerals.
The Indiana Rare Earth Recovery Council will meet Tuesday, December 16, at the Indiana Statehouse to continue work on recovering rare earth elements from coal byproducts. The meeting begins at 12:30 p.m. Eastern in the House Ways and Means Committee Room.
The council was created earlier this year by Governor Mike Braun and is focused on reclaiming rare earth elements and other critical materials from legacy coal waste. Those materials are essential for modern technology -- from electronics and energy systems to defense applications.
State leaders say the effort could help reduce U.S. reliance on foreign imports, particularly from China, which currently dominates global rare earth production. Indiana is one of the nation's top coal-producing states and officials believe that gives the state a unique opportunity to become a strategic domestic source.
The meeting will be livestreamed online, allowing the public to follow the discussion in real time.