The Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Technology Assessment Initiative (EMRTAI) has selected five more technology developers for its third round of assessments, expanding its focus on critical mineral recovery from mining waste. Infinite Elements, AlkaLi Labs, Advanced Environmental Technologies, Transition Metal Solutions, and Stalagmite will now undergo evaluations as part of the EPA-funded program, which targets legacy hard rock mine and mineral processing sites under the Superfund program.
Since its launch in fall 2025, EMRTAI has worked with seven developers, testing solutions across three key categories: recovering critical minerals from mining-influenced water, extracting metals from solid waste like tailings and slag, and characterizing mining waste using tools such as field portable X-ray fluorescence devices. The initiative’s approach relies on real-world feedstocks from Superfund sites across the western U.S., providing developers with critical data to refine their technologies.
Jana Heisler-White, EMRTAI’s Program Manager, emphasized the growing interest in the initiative, noting that each application round has seen an increase in both the number and diversity of submissions. “We continue to be impressed by the wide range of technologies that developers submit for the assessment process,” she said. “The number of applicants has grown during each application round, as well as in the types of technologies. This tells us that we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg as far as innovation is concerned and that those working in this space benefit greatly from the independent, third-party assessments that serve as the cornerstone of this initiative.”
This latest round includes two onsite pilot-scale demonstrations, one focusing on recovering critical minerals from mining-influenced water and another from smelter slag. Heisler-White highlighted the dual benefits of using Superfund sites for testing. “There’s tremendous benefit from using sites and feedstocks from within the Superfund program for technology demonstrations,” she said. “Recovering critical minerals from legacy mining and mineral sites has the potential to expedite the cleanup of Superfund sites while supporting the development of a U.S. supply chain for critical minerals.”
The assessments, conducted throughout summer and fall 2026, aim to produce reports that will guide future decision-making in the industry. The initiative’s structure—pairing real-world waste materials with independent evaluations—could redefine how critical minerals are extracted from abandoned mining sites, turning environmental liabilities into economic opportunities. For developers, the program offers a rare chance to test technologies against actual feedstocks, while for regulators and investors, it provides a clearer path to scaling up solutions that could reshape both remediation and resource recovery.