Creating a Multi-National Development Platform - Thorium Energy and Rare Earth Value Chain

Rare Earth Deposits & Mining / Rare Earth Exploration, Mining, Processing, & Uses

Date posted: 08/04/14

On June 27th, 2014, James Kennedy made a presentation to the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency at the IAEA world headquarters in Vienna. The technical paper is titled - Creating a Multi-National Development Platform - Thorium Energy and Rare Earth Value Chain, written by John Kutsch and James Kennedy. The paper discusses recent U.S. Federal legislation that offers a private sector solution to the economic and national security issues resulting from China monopoly control of rare earths. This legislation also provides a private sector solution for the long term safe storage of Thorium and the commercial development of Thorium energy systems and industrial products. Regarding Rare earths, the paper and presentation also answer the question: Why cannot Molycorp, Lynas or any other western rare earth company succeed? Mr. Kennedy demonstrates that China production and market advantage in rare earths is largely the result of NRC and IAEA Source Material regulations with unintended consequences. Source Material Issues - Materials containing any ratio or combination of Thorium and Uranium above .05 percent. Producing or holding these materials within the regulatory threshold (.05 percent) requires extensive and wide-ranging licensing, storage, transportation, remediation disposal and compliance costs, including prohibitive liability and bonding issues. Consequently any potential supplier of byproduct / co-product rare earth resources that would be designated as source material disposes of these valuable resources to avoid liability and compliance issues.