(The Center Square) – The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality has approved an air quality permit for Project Dynamo, a rare earth separation facility proposed at the Port of Vinton in Calcasieu Parish, clearing the way for construction to begin.
Issued just 29 days after Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed executive orders mandating expedited, 90-day environmental reviews of advanced chemical processing plants, the state permit allows Project Dynamo’s operation under specific emissions control limits.
Environmental watchdogs in the state warn, however, that fast-tracking environmental reviews of Aclara’s plant and other advanced chemical processing facilities increase the likelihood that overlooked industrial hazards damage fragile coastal ecosystems.
The $277 million processing plant is designed to separate mixed rare earth concentrates into high-purity oxides-such as neodymium-praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium-which are critical in supply chains for permanent magnets used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, and defense technologies.
“We have built strong and constructive relationships with the State of Louisiana, Calcasieu Parish and Town of Vinton government officials, whose engagement has been important as we advance the project,” said Aclara Chief Operating Officer Hugh Broadhurst.
Vancouver-based Aclara announced in July that the U.S. Department of Energy agreed to provide funding for Project Dynamo, with terms and timing subject to negotiation, as part of a federal program that uses artificial intelligence to build a “digital twin” of the companies processes and production methods. In collaboration with the Argonne National Laboratory. Aclara will use this AI software to simulate and test its systems before plant operations begin.
Aclara Chief Executive Officer Ramón Barúa said the federal funding confirms the company’s vision of using advanced technology to build domestic manufacturing supply chains. “The project will help accelerate the development of next-generation operating tools for heavy rare earth separation while reinforcing our broader strategy of building a secure, resilient and technologically advanced rare earth supply chain across the Americas,” Barúa said.
Under the initial “minor source” air permit issued by Louisiana’s Department of Environmental Quality on Sept. 10, Aclara’s rare earth separation plant would be capped at emissions totaling 2.19 tons per year of volatile organic compounds and 4.90 tons per year of hydrochloric acid. The Center Square obtained a copy of the permit from the Department of Environmental Quality.
The state is requiring that Aclara route all processing gases through an on-site chemical filter called a “caustic scrubber” to neutralize corrosive acid vapors before they leave the plant’s exhaust stacks, the permit shows. To ensure this safety system does not fail, Aclara’s plant operators are required to check and log the scrubber’s liquid flow and chemical pH levels every four hours.
Last week, The Center Square reported on Aclara’s eligibility for up to $750 million in federal financing from the Export-Import Bank of the United States to support the development of the Vinton facility.
