Dave Hoffman of West Virginia University's Water Research Institute holds up a vial of light rare earth oxides at a facility that separates them from acidic groundwater draining from an abandoned coal mine, June 25, 2024, in Mount Storm, W.Va. Researchers are finding that groundwater pouring out of this and other abandoned coal mines contains the rare earth elements and other valuable metals that are vital to making everything from electric vehicle motors to rechargeable batteries to fighter jets smaller, lighter or more powerful. (AP Photo/Marc Levy)
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