US rare earth miner compete for government support

Rare earth producers in the United States are lobbying for help as the US government seeks to revive its rare earth industry, the Bloomberg reported.

Morlycorp wants federal loan guarantees to convert the elements into metals, alloys and magnets, Bloomberg cited Jim Sims, Molycorp’s vice president for public affairs, as saying.

The report said Morlycorp hired Jonathan Etherton, a former Senate Armed Services Committee staff aide, in December to assit the lobby. McBee Strategic Consulting, based in Washington, also helps.

Wings Enterprises Inc. of St. Louis is developing a mine in Pea Ridge, Missouri. It is lobbying Congress to help create an industry-backed cooperative to act as a repository for thorium. It will produce heavy rare earth, the report said.

The report is here:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-14/rare-earths-producer-molycorp-rivals-seek-u-s-aid-as-china-chops-exports.html