Nearly two dozen people, including government officials, were jailed after a Vietnamese court found them liable for violating regulations on rare earth exploitation and environmental pollution.
Government officials, chief accountants, and executives from different companies were accused of playing a role in the unlawful exploitation and sale of rare earth materials, according to France 24.
There were 27 defendants, and 23 were given jail sentences, including former Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Linh Ngoc, who was ordered to serve three years for "violating state regulations causing wastefulness."
The court said that the Thai Duong Company was illegally granted a mining license for rare earth exploitation between 2019 and 2023. France 24 reported that rare earth and iron ores were exported and sold for around $30 million, largely to China. In Vietnam, exporting raw ore is heavily restricted due to the country's desire to boost its refining industry, according to Reuters.
Vietnam was once considered to have the second-largest reserve of rare earth minerals, per France 24, which includes 17 heavy metals that are often used to power technology or build everyday appliances.
A recent United States Geological Survey also found that the estimated amount of rare earth elements in the country had fallen from 22 million tons to 3.5 million tons. Now, Vietnam ranks sixth in the world for its reserves.
Many of our electric vehicles and appliances, which help reduce air pollution, are powered by lithium-ion batteries. Mining the materials for them can be damaging to the earth, and while developments have been made to improve the process, it can still create toxic waste that impacts local communities. It's still better for the planet than using gas-powered cars, but it's important to regulate the mining to avoid excessive pollution. It doesn't help when government officials engage in or promote illegal mining activities.
Luckily, researchers have been working to find a sustainable and efficient way to extract these minerals, including by using recycled batteries or creating clusters of raw minerals that are easier to mine at once.
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