Mining cobalt is highly toxic to breathe and touch. Land near the mines suffers, too. Waterways are often contaminated, and workers are forced to touch and inhale toxic dust on a daily basis.

The first cobalt mine in America in decades opens Friday in Idaho. The metal used in electric vehicle batteries is in big demand yet analysts say the environmental costs are also high.

Cobalt is a metal that produces a blue pigment. It's essential for making many of the batteries powering phones, computers, and electric vehicles, but mining it is linked to human rights abuses.

Sedimentary deposits, which account for more than 50% of cobalt mining today, are sandstones and shales that formed beneath ancient oceans and lakes, ...

America's only cobalt mine opened last year to great fanfare, since the mineral is crucial for green energy. But it surprisingly closed months later.

The first cobalt mine in the United States in decades opened Friday in Idaho amid rising demand for the metal, which is a key component in electric vehicle batteries. July 10, 2025.

With that kind of government support and industry demand, investing in the country's only cobalt mine seemed like a dream business venture for Jervois. "It was a huge opportunity," says CEO Crocker.

America's only cobalt mine opened last year to great fanfare, since the mineral is crucial for green energy. But it surprisingly closed months later.