Mining tycoon plans huge rare earths project near Joshua Tree

Conservationists are seething over the high likelihood that a critical habitat for desert tortoises will be impacted by a rare earth mining project.

Australian mining company Dateline Resources last month acquired a Music Valley heavy rare earth elements project, located just north of Joshua Tree National Park, according to Mining Weekly.

Heavy rare earth metals such as dysprosium and terbium are needed for defense systems, advanced electronics and environmental technologies like wind turbines. Samplings in the area indicate there’s a heavy presence, the company said.

“Music Valley gives Dateline direct exposure to heavy rare earth mineralization in California with historically reported high-grade total rare earth oxide results and strong heavy rare earth enrichment,” managing director Stephen Baghdadi said.

The project is pending as Dateline commences exploration of the area, such as with mapping and rock chip sampling, the company announced early March. Two weeks ago, it finished an airborne survey of the area and said it was processing the data.

“The company will continue to move quickly and methodically to determine whether it can become part of that solution,” Baghdadi said of the Music Valley area.

Environmentalists, however, are not keen on the idea of a mining project so close to the 1,200-square-mile desert national park visited annually by close to 3 million people. The public lands around the park contain sensitive plants and wildlife.

Particularly, there is the Mojave desert tortoise, an endangered species, which is highly dependent on the sweeping desert landscape.

“It’s hard to think of a worse place for a massive industrial project than sensitive desert tortoise habitat on the very edge of Joshua Tree National Park,” Brendan Cummings, conservation director for the Center for Biological Diversity, told the Los Angeles Times.

The occurrence of rare earths mining — which can involve jackhammers, dynamite, toxic waste and radiation — might permanently damage the area and draw in traffic and light pollution, Cummings added.

Democratic Congressman Jared Huffman also isn’t a fan of the project, the Times reported, given the company allegedly flouted National Park Service rules in the past with another mine.

“They don’t respect public lands, national parks or the law, so there’s every reason to be deeply concerned about this proposal,” Huffman said.

Rare earths, however, are a super critical component for the country’s supply chain and presidential administrations have made it a priority to boost domestic production.

“The United States urgently needs domestic sources of heavy rare earths. Dysprosium, terbium and yttrium are strategic materials, and secure supply is no longer optional, it is essential,” Baghdadi said.

The company hasn’t yet publicly said anything regarding its impact on the tortoise and other wildlife. The California Post reached out to the company for comment.

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