The Critical Connection Between Rare Earth Elements and Thorium – How the U.S., Allies Can Be REE and Energy Independent - Thorium Alliance, IAEA
Vienna, Austria (PRWEB) July 01, 2014 -- The Critical Connection Between Rare Earth Elements and Thorium – How the U.S., Allies Can Be REE and Energy Independent
A presentation on June 27th by James Kennedy of ThREE, a U.S.-based Rare Earth consulting firm, will profile the critical relationship between rare earth minerals and the element Thorium. Along with John Kutsch, executive director of the Thorium Energy Alliance, Kennedy has spent the last six years developing legislation to bring the production and processing of rare earth materials to the United States.
"Rare earth elements are critically important in virtually all high-tech industries, essential for the consumer, defense and Green-Technology sectors. All windmills and most solar cells require rare earth elements to function. Rare earths are also found in every smart phone currently manufactured as well as the DoD’s Advanced Weapons systems found in all branches of the military. The need for a reliable, fully integrated domestic supply chain for rare earth elements is critical for the advancement of U.S.’s global position in these emerging industries as well as the defense of our nation,” said Kennedy.
The House Resolution (H.R. 4883) and Senate Resolution (S.R. 2006), both titled “The National Rare Earth Cooperative Act” (N.R.E.C.A.) will create a privately funded multi-national rare earth cooperative between the U.S. and Japan, the EU, Canada and Australia.
"The cooperative would utilize abundant rare earth materials that U.S. mines currently discard because the rare earth elements are most often found with Thorium, a mildly radioactive natural element." Said Kutsch
As part of N.R.E.C.A. [ HR4883, SR2006 ], 'Thorium will be safely stored by a multi-national corporation that will develop commercial uses for Thorium and Thorium energy systems. The Thorium Energy Corporation will be required to seek out direct investment from sovereign entities (International Atomic Energy Agency member states)'.
" Unlike solid-state reactors, high-temperature Thorium liquid-fueled reactors can eliminate the risk of widespread radiation release and greatly reduce issues related to spent-fuel and the proliferation of weapons-grade material," said Kutsch
"The United States operated three liquid-fueled reactors in the 1950s and 1960s. The much safer reactor technology was not pursued at the time because they were incompatible with the nuclear weapon solid fuel programs of the cold war era." said Kennedy.
The House Resolution (H.R. 4883) [Stockman R, TX-36]
https://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/4883
Senate Resolution (S.R. 2006) [Blunt R Mo. & Manchin D Wv]
https://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/senate-bill/2006
Location: United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency Headquarters, Vienna Austria
Contact: James Kennedy – mjkennedy(at)threeconsulting(dot)com
Contact: John Kutsch — thoriumenergyalliance(at)gmail(dot)com / http://www.thoriumenergyalliance.com
For more information, please contact: John Kutsch, Executive Director – Thorium Energy Alliance.
312.303.5019 / thoriumenergyalliance(at)gmail(dot)com
John Kutsch, Thorium Energy Alliance, http://thoriumenergyalliance.com, +1 3123035019, [email protected]
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