NEWS: Missouri Geological Survey receives funding to hunt for critical minerals

Missouri Geological Survey receives funding to hunt for critical minerals

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, JULY 15, 2024 - The United States Geological Survey announced it will provide the Missouri Geological Survey more than $200,000 to search for critical minerals within Missouri. In partnership with The Doe Run Company, the effort will study historic mine waste chat piles of Missouri’s Old Lead Belt District. If traces of cobalt or rare earth elements are found, this discovery may indicate where these critical minerals may exist in the district.

“Missouri’s St. Francis Mountains are one of only a few places in the continental United States known to have deposits of cobalt,” said State Geologist and Missouri Geological Survey Director Carey Bridges. “The importance of cobalt for the modern world cannot be overstated as it’s essential for production of lithium-ion batteries. A relatively small investment for this project could lead to this state’s most significant geologic discovery in a generation.” 

The project will focus on three sites of historic lead mining in the Park Hills area of St. Francois County where operations have ceased: the chat piles associated with the Rivermines, Bonne Terre, and National mines. All three are owned by Doe Run.

"The chat and tailings piles are remnants from the historical mining and extraction of lead in the area known as the Old Lead Belt,” said Bridges. “Critical minerals, such as cobalt and nickel, were not targeted during previous mining processes and therefore remain in these materials at varying levels. Through sampling and analysis, we can determine the concentrations and potential for recovery of these critical minerals as a domestic source for materials necessary for advanced energy technology and essential goods." 

The project’s timeline will see sampling begin on-site in September of this year, with the final results released in August 2026. The work will be conducted on the surface of the piles using shovels, buckets and hand augers. No heavy equipment will be involved, and there will be no major ground disturbances. There will also be no impact to traffic as the sites are contained in gated areas or away from roads.

Titled “Mine Waste Characterization of Missouri Old Lead Belt Chat Piles – Bonne Terre, National, and Rivermines Sites,” Missouri’s proposal was among 26 submitted by state geological surveys for funding through the USGS, and one of 16 selected. Full funding of $207,464 will be provided for the project’s field work and analysis plus $3,999 for team members to attend a USGS Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, or MRI, workshop. Funding for this project will be provided through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

For more information on the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Missouri Geological Survey, visit dnr.mo.gov/land-geology/geology.

 

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