North Dakota's Rare Earth Riches: A Promising Road Map.

The North Dakota Geological Survey has released a report outlining a road map for exploring lignite coal and organic-rich mudstone that contains enriched critical minerals, including rare earth minerals and lithium. The state hopes private companies will use the report to do explorations of their own, which could produce additional discoveries and provide the beginnings of a critical mineral industry in the state. The concentrated tiny quantities of minerals embedded within millions of tons of lignite could contain billions of dollars of commercial-grade rare earth and other critical minerals.