Sen. Casey visits Penn State, highlights $2.1 million drainage research
By Aaron Marrie, WTAJ TV 10 News
STATE COLLEGE, Pa (WTAJ) — U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) visited Penn State to highlight a $2.1 million GRANT? for acid mine drainage research
On Thursday, Casey visited Penn State University’s Center for Critical Minerals to showcase the $2.1 million of federal funding for the fiscal 2023 year. During his visit, he was joined by Sarma Pisupati, Director of the Penn State Center for Critical Minerals, Jesse Gill, Penn State Master’s Degree Student in Energy and Mineral Engineering and Lora Weiss, Senior Vice President for Research at Penn State.
Casey showcased the $2.1 million for the fiscal 2023 year in federal funding that will help “scale up” a novel process that Penn State scientists developed. The process allows scientists to recover critical minerals from acid mine drainage (AMD) byproducts.
“It was great to learn about this novel process that Penn State has undertaken that did this,” Casey said. “This funding will support to make sure that we are able to use the benefit we have of all of these natural resources in our state. To derive from that, kind of rare earth minerals that, frankly, China dominates. China dominates this market.”
Casey went on to mention that this funding will help Penn State move forward with its research and could help grow the economy, as well as protect our environment.