Waste to Resource: Unlocking Value from Mine Tailings and By-Products

​Nomadic Venture Partners is hosting a discussion on how transforming mine tailings and generating by-products can unlock new sources of critical minerals.

​Recent research led by Elizabeth Holley at Colorado School of Mines shows that the United States already produces much of the critical mineral supply it needs at existing mines, but fails to recover it. Minerals essential to energy, defense, and advanced manufacturing are routinely discarded in tailings despite being actively mined today.

​Building on this research foundation, Ryan Mathur, CTO and Co-Founder of VectOres, will discuss how copper isotope science and primary data technologies can identify where valuable minerals are concentrated within complex ore bodies, tailings, and waste streams. These approaches help reduce uncertainty, lower costs, and guide recovery efforts toward the most viable material.

​Adding a policy and permitting lens, Ty Churchwell, Mining Coordinator for the Government Affairs program at Trout Unlimited, will share perspective on abandoned mine lands permitting challenges and the regulatory frameworks that shape how and whether mine waste can be responsibly revisited. His work spans Good Samaritan law implementation, Mining Law reform, and critical minerals policy development.

​Together, the conversation will explore how science, technology, policy, and targeted investment can convert mine waste from a liability into a strategic resource, accelerating domestic supply while reducing environmental impact and import dependence.