Study: Digging deeper: Assessing the trade-offs of domestic cobalt mining in the United States of America (DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105729)
As the world relies increasingly on critical minerals such as cobalt to fuel not just the green revolution but also everyday life, the United States may need to turn to domestic mining to meet its needs.
Through a series of qualitative interviews, University of Michigan researchers examined how an Idaho community is facing the challenges and opportunities of a proposed cobalt mine. The study, led by then-U-M undergraduate Chava Makman, finds that communities recognize there are no easy answers about when and where to mine.
Makman worked with Brandon Marc Finn, U-M research faculty member at the School for Environment and Sustainability, on the study, which was published in the journal Resources Policy. Together, they sought to explore questions present in the ongoing debate over mining and decarbonization.
"We found through our interviews that, generally, respondents did not view mining as clearly good or bad," Makman said. "There are trade-offs, no matter what, and answering questions about whether to mine an area or not will never be a black-and-white decision.
"As energy initiatives increase, no single country should be relied on to satisfy the complete demand of these minerals. So here's this question of, 'Could U.S. domestic mining diversify these supply chains, even if it could never, with our limited reserves, fully satisfy that demand?'"
Finn says decarbonization is an inherently moral and political issue.
"It is our job as researchers to consider the trade-offs and think through who stands to be most heavily impacted by mining, and why this is the case," he said.
In 2022, a cobalt mine in Idaho celebrated its opening ceremony, but the celebrations soon halted: the price of cobalt dropped, and the mine shuttered, according to the researchers. Cobalt is considered to be a "critical mineral"-a mineral that is one of a few dozen on the United States' list of minerals essential to our nation's economy and national security. It is a critical component of the rechargeable batteries used to power phones, laptops and battery electric cars, and is a crucial part of decarbonization initiatives.
The Inflation Reduction Act urged efforts to mine cobalt in the United States, where deposits are rare. About 1 million tons of cobalt have been identified in the U.S. compared to about 120 million tons worldwide. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, where Finn has ongoing research projects, currently produces 76%of the world's mined cobalt supply.
Recent federal policies aim to make the U.S. less reliant on Chinese dominance over supply chains for critical minerals, according to the researchers. However, mining, which has significant environmental, cultural and social impacts, is a controversial practice.
The study consisted of 32 separate interviews with individual experts, selected based on their knowledge of the cobalt industry, their employment in industries relevant to mining for critical minerals, and those who live in communities near the Idaho Cobalt Organization. These include employees from environmental and political advocacy groups, universities, mining companies, Native American tribes, research institutes and Idaho residents impacted by mining.
Overall, the interviewees spoke about both employment and economic possibilities, as well as the Chinese monopoly over the mineral supply chain. The interviewees also expressed concern over the environmental impact of mining. Crucially, the study notes that 68% of cobalt reserves in the U.S. are found within 35 miles of Indigenous people's reservations and that their rights need careful consideration.
"One of the trade-offs that's really necessary to consider is Indigenous rights and access to land," said Finn, who leads U-M's Informal Sustainability Lab. "One of the interesting points to note from our work is that we shouldn't treat community groups as monolithic. Many interview respondents were Indigenous people who were pro-mine, just as there were some against mining. We cannot and should not essentialize groups of people based on the views we may think they hold because of their identities."
For example, Makman notes that members of the Indigenous community who lived near the Idaho mine mentioned the history of the mining industry failing to respect Indigenous interests, including disregarded treaties, destruction of sacred sites, not consulting with local tribes and forcing displacement from land. But other Indigenous respondents noted potential benefits, such as jobs related to mining, community benefit plans and other possibilities.
The U-M authors say that to meet decarbonization goals, tough choices about where and how minerals necessary for the green revolution are mined need to be made. In particular, one respondent, from a conservation organization, summed up the issue.
"There are no right answers in the renewable energy transition, only trade-offs," the respondent said. "Do we mine various small areas knowing they're going to be negatively affected ecologically for the next 300 years if it's in order to save the planet?"
