(Ionic Mineral Technologies) An aerial view of the new Silicon Ridge mine in Utah County. A local company recently confirmed large, high-grade deposits of critical and rare earth minerals at the site which are crucial components in modern technologies but currently mostly supplied by foreign markets.
Leia Larsen is a sixth generation Utahn and a water and land use reporter reporter for The Salt Lake Tribune. She has covered environment, energy and political issues throughout the West. When she’s not chasing the news, Leia can be found exploring the Wasatch Mountains, sleeping in the desert or rooting around her garden.