The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth
Located an hour south of Las Vegas, Mountain Pass was the world’s top source of Europium for color TVs in the 1960s. It closed in the early 2000s due to environmental issues and Chinese competition (the Molycorp collapse).
Current Status (MP Materials)
Now owned by MP Materials, the mine is fully operational again. It produces a high-grade Bastnäsite concentrate. While it currently ships much of this concentrate to China for processing, the company is actively building refining capability on-site to restore a full “Mine-to-Magnet” supply chain within the USA.