[ClearCase_guy]

I thought that part of the problem was toxic waste from the processing. China seems to have no problem spewing toxic waste everywhere, but western nations try to avoid that sort of thing. I’m glad that Canada is building an advanced processing plant — but is the waste still a problem?

[rdcbn1]

The Chinese have run many competitors out of the rare earths production due to low costs of production achieved via little to no use of environmental controls and strategic predatory low pricing to run competitors out of business.

China then made the huge mistake of trying to use rare earths as a trade weapon which forced the US to view rare earths production as a strategic rather and economic issue

Big mistake.

[Jonty30]

China is working to steal the technology, if they haven’t already.

[Rockingham]

Waste is apparently reduced (and probably made less toxic) because the facility relies on precise computer control in processing rare earth concentrates instead of manual adjustments by workers monitoring dials and gauges. As always in chemical reactions and industrial processes, precise control is better because it reduces waste and unwanted and often toxic byproducts and compounds.