The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) released on Friday an expression of interest (EOI) seeking input from American industry on the potential transfer of surplus critical minerals, rare earth elements and other materials located at five EM cleanup sites across the country.
The materials identified in the EOI are the result of past nuclear weapons production and government-sponsored energy research. No longer needed for planned activities, they may be valuable to private industry, including advanced technology and manufacturing, alternative energy and national defense, the DOE said.
The critical minerals and rare earth materials subject to this EOI are aluminum, cesium-137, chloride, copper, fluorine, lead, lithium hydride, platinum, selenium, silver, tungsten and vanadium.
“EM is transforming the legacy of America’s nuclear mission into opportunity,” EM Infrastructure, Disposition and Regulatory Policy Director Rob Seifert said in a news release.
“The surplus materials at our sites could help put American resources to work for American industry by supporting jobs, strengthening our industrial base and advancing the administration’s energy and national security priorities,” Seifert said. “This EOI is the first step in that conversation with the private sector.”
Five geographically diverse EM cleanup sites — Paducah in Kentucky, Portsmouth in Ohio, Oak Ridge in Tennessee, the Nevada National Security Site, and Moab in Utah — are participating in the initiative.
The EOI includes site-specific information about the valuable materials, including their type, quantities and locations. EM will host a virtual Industry Day on Sept. 30 to explain the EOI process, answer questions and learn more about market demand and the industrial capabilities available to process, recover or otherwise use the materials.
The initiative supports priorities of strengthening domestic supply chains, advancing American energy independence and maintaining the nation’s competitive edge in critical minerals and advanced manufacturing.
Interested parties must provide their own equipment and expertise for any material relocation or extraction. DOE will evaluate responses based on demonstrated technical knowledge and the quality of proposed use plans.
EM has led the nation’s nuclear cleanup mission for more than 37 years, addressing the environmental legacy of Cold War-era nuclear weapons production at sites across the country. This initiative represents the next chapter in that mission, DOE said.