General Chat / Discussion, page-180

Not arguing, just pointing out a few facts that need to be recognized, and I think I do have a right to be repetitive considering how many times IXR has published/had re-published this same information time after time after time. I am also raising these facts because I personally do not think that the Environmental issues can be economically addressed, and while I am not so concerned for the current shareholders, I do feel sorry for anybody who now takes a position believing that all the Hype now in circulation suggests that Makuutu is the greatest thing since sliced bread ! DYOR


Bumisu,

I hope your 5sec read comment is not referring to this first passage below, which aptly describes the mechanisms they used in China and which created a HUGE environmental disaster (see their pic), and which is why Beijing has banned the practice.

As far as I can see the only difference between IXR's Project and the IC mines in China is the Environment; Recognizing that Ionic Clays can be mined using Chinese technology; the next BIG question that needs to be addressed is "How to do it to EIS standards" that being the case I would have thought that the EIS study would now be the Number one priority ? and well under way.

OH, and I see no mention as to how they propose to achieve "Percolation" in the process diagram, I do note the recognition that these clays are "Colloidal" which will present a major problem with how they eventually dispose of them? They cant just be dumped back into the hole, old river bed or into a tailings dam without some form of long term stabilization.

"Therefore, the extraction of ion-adsorption Rare Earths is carried out by open-cut mining followed by
tank or heap leaching with sodium chloride or ammonium sulphate solution. Using traditional surface/
mountain top mining and heap-leaching techniques it is estimated that for the production of one tonne
of Rare Earth oxide from ion-adsorption Rare Earth ores, 300m2 of vegetation and topsoil are removed,
2000 tonnes of tailings are disposed into adjacent valleys and streams, and 1000 tonnes of waste water,
containing high concentrations of ammonium sulphate and heavy metals, is produced."

"Recovery from the heap leach is a straightforward process. It is fast with less than an hour of residency
to break the ionic bond due to the colloidal nature of the REEs. There will be a total residence period of
material on the heap for a period ranging from 14 days to four weeks."