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Expand Appalachia CORE-CM (Expand APP)

Truck in front of large drill looking for critical minerals

Building a domestic critical minerals future from Appalachian resources, waste streams, and industrial assets

The Expand Appalachia CORE-CM (Expand APP) project is a regional research initiative focused on identifying and characterizing critical mineral concentrations across the Appalachian region. CORE-CM stands for Carbon Ore, Rare Earth, and Critical Minerals. The project is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s broader effort to strengthen domestic supply chains for critical minerals, rare earth elements, and high-value nonfuel carbon-based products. The DOE CORE-CM Initiative is designed to support regional economic growth, job creation, resource assessment, supply-chain development, stakeholder engagement, and workforce training.

The Expand APP project will provide the foundational data, assessment methodologies, & implementation plans needed to catalyze economic growth & job creation by realizing the full potential value of the region’s natural resources, specifically including unconventional sources of critical minerals & metals as well as non-fuel carbon-based products.

Expand APP connects resource development with regional renewal. By evaluating critical minerals in Appalachian coal, waste, byproducts, and associated materials, the project may help identify new ways to create value from existing resources while supporting reclamation, workforce development, and economic diversification.

Project Leadership / Principal Investigator (PI): 
Dr. Richard E. Bishop
Professor of Practice, Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering
Virginia Tech

Regional_CORE-CM_Map

Project Team:

  • Virginia Tech (VT)
  • University of Kentucky (UK)
  • Pennsylvania State University (PSU)
  • West Virginia University (WVU)
  • Bluefield State University (BSU)
  • Virginia Center for Coal & Energy Research (VCCER)
  • Virginia Energy (VaDOE)
  • Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS)
  • US Geological Survey (USGS)
  • Marshall Miller & Associates (MM&A)
  • Crescent Resource Innovations (CRI)
  • Coalfield Strategies (CS)
  • Bandy Geological Consulting (BGC)
  • Chmura Economics & Analytics

Upcoming Events:

Past Events:

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