Active Technical Panels

Technologies for Recovery of Critical Minerals from Mining-Influenced Water

A Call for Applications for technologies that are at a technology readiness level (TRL) 3-4 (bench-scale) or TRL 5-7 (pilot-scale) was announced in Fall 2024 and 2025. EMRTAI is working with technology developers on technology assessments focused on recovery of REEs, cobalt, manganese, nickel, copper, and platinum group metals. A Technical Panel of experts was assembled to provide input to the development and review of the QAPP. The Technical Panel will provide a peer review of the Technology Assessment Report that is generated for each technology assessment.

Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) for Critical Minerals Recovery Technologies for Mining Influenced Water – Laboratory Bench-scale Assessments

Active Period: May 2025 - December 2026

Technical Panel Members:

  • Robin Bullock, Montana Technological University

  • Barbara Butler, EPA Office of Research and Development

  • Jeffrey Gillow, Arcadis

  • Joy Jenkins, EPA Region 8

  • Logan Schultz, Trihydro Corporation

  • Dawn Wellman, Savannah River National Laboratory

  • John Zinza, Washington State Department of Ecology, Toxics Cleanup Program

  • Tyler Chatriand, EPA Region 10

  • Eric Blumenstein, WSP

Technologies for Characterization of Critical Minerals in Solid Mining and Mineral Processing Waste

A Call for Applications for technologies that are commercially available or at a technology readiness level (TRL) of 5-7 was announced in Fall 2024 and Fall 2025. EMRTAI is working with commercial vendors to use diverse field portable x-ray fluorescence (FPXRF) instruments to characterize critical minerals in solid mining waste. A Technical Panel of experts was assembled to provide input to the development and review of the QAPP. The Technical Panel will provide peer review of the Technology Assessment Reports that are generated for each technology assessment.

Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) for Characterizing Concentrations of Critical Minerals in Solid Mine Waste Using Handheld X-Ray Fluorescence (HHXRF)

Review Period: April 2025 – December 2026

Technical Panel Members:

  • Robert Gregory, University of Wyoming

  • Cecilia Lazo-Skold, Regeneration

  • Andrew Nicholson, Integral Consulting

  • Virginia McLemore, New Mexico Bureau of Geology

  • Karla Lesli, Parsons

  • Karina Rogers, HDR, Inc.

  • Matt Noerpel, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development

  • Anna Wendt, U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory

Technologies for Recovery of Critical Minerals from Solid Mining and Mineral Processing Waste

A Call for Applications for technologies recovering critical minerals from solid mining and mineral processing (MMP) wastes, including chat, tailings, waste rock, slag, or similar materials from hardrock MMP was announced in September 2025 and March 2026. The technologies should be at a technology readiness level (TRL) 3-4 (bench-scale) or TRL 5-7 (pilot-scale). EMRTAI is working with technology developers on technology assessments focused on recovery of REEs, and other critical elements. A Technical Panel of experts was assembled to provide input to the development and review of the QAPP. The Technical Panel will provide a peer review of the Technology Assessment Report that is generated for each technology assessment.

Technical Panel Members:

  • Xiao Su, University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign

  • Thanasis Karamalidis, Penn State University

  • Bowen Li, Michigan Tech University

  • Amber Conner, Michigan Geological Society

  • Travis McLing, Idaho National Laboratory

  • Chris Neaville , Doe Run

  • Tyler Chatriand, EPA, Region 10

  • Vasudevan Namboodiri, EPA Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions

  • Sanja Miskovic, Novex LLC