HR1023 EnrolledLRB098 20994 MST 58683 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION 1023

 
2    WHEREAS, Rare Earth Elements are 17 individual minerals
3that are extremely important in the production of a wide
4variety of products that have domestic, environmental, and
5defensive uses, including mobile phone technology, aerospace
6instruments, radiation medicine, MRI & PET scanning, clean
7energy, radar systems, and satellites; and
 
8    WHEREAS, It is estimated that China is responsible for more
9than 90% of the global supply of Rare Earth Elements in use
10today and has been suspected of price fixing these materials by
11reducing exportation of "raw" elements in favor of finished
12products; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Current United States regulatory policy inhibits
14the processing, safe storage, and development of potential uses
15for Thorium, a companion element of rare earth mining and
16processing; this greatly enhances China's rare earth monopoly
17power; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Missouri's Pea Ridge Mine in Washington County is
19capable of mining all 17 of the Rare Earth Elements and the
20by-product material, Thorium, which can be used as a source
21fuel for nuclear energy; Thorium is not only more abundant, but
22also safer than uranium; and
 

 

 

HR1023 Enrolled- 2 -LRB098 20994 MST 58683 r

1    WHEREAS, The United States does not currently have a
2facility capable of refining these Rare Earth Minerals in a
3cost efficient manner, while China and other countries continue
4to invest in new refining and mining technologies; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Rare Earth Elements are becoming increasingly
6more important and valuable, and the United States is too
7dependent on foreign sources that gouge prices and exploit
8populations in favor of higher profits; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Rare Earth Elements can be extracted from coal and
10coal tailings and can help contribute to U.S. Rare Earth
11production, giving new life and jobs to the State's coal
12industry, while making it cleaner and more efficient; and
 
13    WHEREAS, The coal industry will benefit greatly from other
14Rare Earth refining byproducts such as Thorium which may help
15create clean liquid fuels from coal and make Illinois a leader
16in clean-coal technology; and
 
17    WHEREAS, It is in the best interest of national security,
18job creation, and quality of life to mine and refine Rare Earth
19Elements within the United States to lessen our dependency on
20China and other foreign sources of these materials; therefore,
21be it
 

 

 

HR1023 Enrolled- 3 -LRB098 20994 MST 58683 r

1    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
2NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
3we strongly encourage the Rare Earth Element mining that is
4taking place at the Pea Ridge Mine in Missouri; and be it
5further
 
6    RESOLVED, That we also strongly encourage the placement of
7the Rare Earth Cooperative in East St. Louis or another
8location within Illinois, to help shift our dependency on
9foreign rare earth materials, bring stabilization to the global
10market for these types of materials, and create jobs for the
11residents of Illinois; and be it further
 
12    RESOLVED, All by-products of Rare Earth production will be
13safely managed and stored on the site of the central Rare Earth
14Refinery, Strategic Reserve, and Illinois will lead the world
15in developing the safest strategic reserve to store, trace, and
16manage every gram of Thorium by-product from Rare Earth
17Production; and be it further
 
18    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution are
19presented to the members of the Illinois Congressional
20Delegation, U.S. Senator Richard J. Durbin, U.S. Senator Mark
21Kirk, and Governor Pat Quinn.