Quantum CEO Urges U.S. to Counter China's Rare Earth Strategy; Nebraska Site Helps Secures America's Rare Earth Metals Needs
October 20 2011 - 7:00AM
Marketwired
Quantum Rare Earth Developments Corp. (TSX
VENTURE:QRE)(OTCQX:QREDF)(FRANKFURT:BR3)
(http://www.quantumrareearth.com/) CEO Peter Dickie is calling for
the U.S. to accelerate efforts to develop and stockpile strategic
metals and rare earth elements (REE) in the wake of a new Pentagon
report to Congress that the U.S. is critically dependent on China
for 17 essential materials, and in particular, rare earth elements.
Quantum's project at Elk Creek, Nebraska, according to the USGS,
has the potential to host one of the largest niobium and rare earth
deposits in the world.
"The new Pentagon report is yet another wake-up call that China
has a long-term strategy to continue controlling 97 percent of the
world's rare earth elements that are vital to defense as well as a
wide range of modern high-tech items, green-technologies and more,"
Dickie said.
While Dickie applauded the efforts of leaders in Congress on
rare earth issues such as Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO), he urged the
U.S. government as a whole to take comprehensive, strategic steps
to develop and produce domestic sources of rare earths and to
stockpile these key materials.
"China has had a coordinated rare earth strategy for many
years," Dickie said. "The U.S. must respond or risk becoming so far
behind the curve that it's impossible to catch up."
In addition to what may prove to be the world's largest deposit
of niobium, which has a range of strategic industrial uses,
including high-strength steel, high-strength alloys in fighter
planes and natural gas pipelines, Quantum has determined that its
14-square mile site at Elk Creek, Nebraska also contains four
primary rare earth elements: lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium and
neodymium.
"With millions of Americans unemployed, the news is full of
reports declaring that the U.S. must rebuild its manufacturing
industries to put people back to work at good jobs," Dickie said.
"The materials at Elk Creek present the opportunity for the U.S. to
put people to work in mining, processing, and in manufacturing
sophisticated products, all while enhancing national security," he
added.
As examples of the kind of jobs that can be created, the diverse
technologies and products that use the niobium and rare earth
elements at Quantum's site:
-- Niobium - High Strength Low Alloy Steel, for construction, automotive,
gas pipelines, steel alloys for magnets, MRI machines, specialty
aeronautical applications;
-- Lanthanum -- High refractive index glass, flint, hydrogen storage,
battery-electrodes, camera lenses, fluid catalytic cracking a catalyst
in oil refinering;
-- Cerium -- A chemical oxidizing agent, polishing powder, producing yellow
colors in glass and ceramics, a catalyst for self-cleaning ovens, fluid
catalytic cracking catalyst for oil refineries;
-- Praseodymium -- Rare-earth magnets, lasers, core material for carbon arc
lighting, colorant in glasses and enamels, additive in didymium glass
used in welding goggles, flint products;
-- Neodymium -- Rare-earth magnets, lasers, violet colors in glass and
ceramics, ceramic capacitors.
Quantum Rare Earth Developments Corp., based in Vancouver,
British Columbia, is an exploration company with a focus on seeking
out potentially economic deposits of Niobium and Rare Earth
Elements (REE) in North America and elsewhere in the world. Quantum
has a strong management team developing the Elk Creek Carbonatite
property, a project with a large NI43-101 compliant Niobium
resource as well as substantial drill intercepts of Rare Earth
Elements.
On Behalf of the Board,
Peter Dickie, President, CEO
Cautionary note: This report may contain forward looking
statements, particularly those regarding cash flow, capital
expenditures and investment plans. Resource estimates, unless
specifically noted, are considered speculative. The company has
filed a National Instrument 43-101 report on the Archie Lake
property, on the Elk Creek Carbonatite property, and intends to
file additional NI 43-101 reports on additional properties as soon
as the information is available. Any and all other resource or
reserve estimates are historical in nature, and should not be
relied upon. By their nature, forward looking statements involve
risk and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on
factors that will or may occur in the future. Actual results may
vary depending upon exploration activities, industry production,
commodity demand and pricing, currency exchange rates, and, but not
limited to, general economic factors. Cautionary Note to US
investors: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission specifically
prohibits the use of certain terms, such as "reserves" unless such
figures are based upon actual production or formation tests and can
be shown to be economically and legally producible under existing
economic and operating conditions.
"Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX
Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this release."
Contacts: Quantum Rare Earth Developments Corp. (604)
568-7365www.QuantumRareEarth.com
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