Minas Gerais prioritizes rare earth project amid legal challenges

The government of Minas Gerais has granted priority status to the Morro do Ferro rare earth project, owned by the Australian company Power Minerals, located near Poços de Caldas. This designation fast-tracks the environmental licensing process through a specialized state structure rather than the standard regional queue.

However, legal challenges are emerging regarding rare earth exploration in the region. A public civil action has been filed questioning the environmental licensing of the Colossus project by Viridis and the Caldeira project by Meteoric. The Federal Public Ministry (MPF) is advocating for a suspension of these licenses until the National Nuclear Safety Authority (ANSN) provides a conclusive technical report regarding potential radiological risks from waste and effluents. A federal judge has ordered the ANSN to re-evaluate these risks due to identified technical gaps and documentation contradictions.