The US Energy Department announced newly a pilot program for research into domestic mining of rare earth elements.
Rare earth elements are a series of seemingly obscure elements on the Periodic Table that are crucial for production of electronics, military equipment and some medications.
According to Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Pa.), 100 percent of America's supply of these elements comes from China.
China supplies 85 percent of the world's overall production, according to the congressman.
The elements - which include Yttrium, Scandium, Neodymium and Cerium - can be extracted in a variety of ways, including in the aftermath of coal mining.
The Energy Department said it will invest nearly $7 million into researching ways to mine and produce these elements in the United States.
Source: FOX
