Lead Pollution is a Vastly Smaller Problem Than It Used to Be: Up to 100-Fold Reduction in 100 Years

 

      I know from attending some state health department lectures about lead pollution that there are still some risks, especially for young children, mainly with lead paint from old houses. There is testing where contamination is suspected. Water supplies are also tested. Lead is also an air pollutant that may be a component of the smoke of combustion. The famous Flint, Michigan, water fiasco, where a new water source was tapped that happened to be able to leach lead from networks of lead water pipes, made replacement of those pipes a huge priority that continues today in many cities. The phasing out of leaded gasoline was a major factor in reducing lead pollution. Lead from improper lead-acid battery recycling is an unnecessary problem in some places.  

     An article by Good News Network summarizes the lead issue:

“Lead is a dangerous neurotoxin that accumulates in human tissues and is linked to developmental deficits in children. Due to the health risks, the United States and other countries start phasing out lead in the 1970s, with the US achieving total elimination for on-road vehicles by 1996.”

     They note that the last country to stop using leaded fuel was Algeria in 2021. Combustion smokestacks, metals smelting, paint, water pipes, and exhaust emissions are all sources of lead pollution.

     Researchers at the University of Utah analyzed hair samples from before and after regulations were enacted.

“We were able to show through our hair samples what the lead concentrations were before and after the establishment of regulations by the EPA,” said University of Utah Professor Ken Smith.

“Back when the regulations were absent, the lead levels were about 100 times higher than they were after the regulations.”   

     The hair samples showed that after the Nixon administration enacted rules against leaded gasoline levels as high as 100 parts per million (ppm), before the rule was enacted dropped to 10 ppm by 1990. In 2024, those levels were less than 1 ppm.

     The paper, published in the proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), shows the hair sampling data and conclusions.

     In light of recent moves to deregulate pollutants by making higher levels acceptable or stopping any lowering of pollutant thresholds, the current study can be seen as a clear indication of the success of environmental regulations.

     The hair samples were collected from people living in Utah’s ‘Wasatch Front’, which historically experienced heavy lead emissions from industrial sources. Hair samples from the same people before and after the rules were enacted confirm the reduction in environmental lead. Some participants were even able to find ancestors’ hair preserved in family scrapbooks dating as far back as a century. That particular area of Utah had a long, thriving metal smelting industry that heavily contributed to lead pollution.

     Good News Network gives some more details:

“The research team ran the hair samples through mass spectrometry equipment and says the surface of the hair is special.”

“Lead is not lost over time,” said research team member Professor Diego Fernandez. “It is concentrated and accumulated in the surface. It tells you about that overall environmental exposure.”

“Before the 1970s, gasoline contained around two grams of lead per gallon, which added up to nearly two pounds of lead per person a year released into the environment.”

“It’s in the air for a number of days and it absorbs into your hair. You breathe it and it goes into your lungs,” explained Prof. Cerling.

“But, thanks to federal regulations, the median blood lead level today in children, aged 1–5 years, fell from over 15 in the late 1970s to just 0.6 in 2020.”

 

 

 

References:

 

Lead Pollution Has Dropped 100-Fold in the U.S. Over the Last Century. Good News Network. February 7, 2026. Lead Pollution Has Dropped 100-Fold in the U.S. Over the Last Century

Lead in archived hair documents a decline in lead exposure to humans since the establishment of the US Environmental Protection Agency. Thure E. Cerling, Diego P. Fernandez, and Ken R. Smith. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Vol. 123 | No. 6. February 2, 2026. Lead in archived hair documents a decline in lead exposure to humans since the establishment of the US Environmental Protection Agency | PNAS

The Importance of Gas-Electric Coordination for Ensuring Power Adequacy and Reliability: The National Petroleum Council’s Reliability Report and RBN Energy’s Summary and Post-Winter Storm Fern Analysis

     Housley Carr of RBN Energy notes that coordination between natural gas and electricity is at an all-time high. This is necessary to optimize power generation and ensure reliability. The National Petroleum Council’s Reliability Report was compiled at the request of Energy Secretary Chris Wright. Reliability and resilience risks were highlighted in the report. Both the natural gas and power grids are in need of new buildout due to rising demand for both.

     Carr addresses market model misalignment. He notes that electric utilities “operate within a specified service territory and have an obligation to serve customers within it.” Electric utilities have monopoly rights and are permitted to recover costs, including investment costs. Local gas distribution companies may operate by a similar service-obligation model.

“Midstream companies that develop, own and run the interstate pipelines that transport vast volumes of gas to electric utilities, IPPs and gas distribution companies operate under an entirely different construct. Midstreamers are on-request service providers — their core role is to transport gas to their customers under individual contracts that are governed by tariffs (i.e., terms and rates) determined to be just and reasonable by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). (Note: Even discounted and negotiated rates are subject to FERC oversight.) Put another way, pipelines act simply as contract vendors to their customers, with their mix of capital facilities (pipelines and storage) and service offerings based on what their customers want, and are willing to pay for.”

     Of course, where gas pipelines are constrained will be the places most at risk, where gas will become unavailable to some markets, as its use for heat is prioritized.

“The need for stability and balance in operating the pipelines means they frequently collide with the substantial swings in power requirements as electric utilities follow their public service obligations to keep the lights on.”

     Another important issue, he says, is a lack of incentives for firm gas transportation to electric utilities. Again, this is exacerbated by pipeline constraints. He says that part-time demand response generators can be disincentivized by paying higher costs for firm transportation, especially if they are not utilized.

     Solutions to these issues include “preemptive line packing (pushing extra gas into pipelines in advance of anticipated high-demand periods) to help sustain deliveries.” Incidentally, this would be less effective if hydrogen were mixed in with the gas since its lower power density means it can’t be packed as easily as natural gas. Another solution, which is quite common in the ISO-New England territory, is replacing unavailable natural gas with diesel fuel oil. As shown below, this happened during winter storm Fern. The first days of the cold spell are shown below, where petroleum fuel oil became the largest generation source on the grid, with its associated increased air pollution, which exceeded limits and increased carbon emissions, compared to natural gas. LNG may be used in a similar fashion, with emissions between those of fuel oil and non-LNG natural gas.

     FERC regulates interstate gas transmission but not intrastate gas transmission. Other regulatory bodies include state regulatory commissions, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), which coordinates state regulators, and the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC), which works with all stakeholders. Other “helpers” include the North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB) and the National Petroleum Council, which advises the Secretary of Energy.

     Carr goes into more detail and reviews some recent FERC orders related to gas-electric coordination.

     Winter Storm Uri in 2021 involved power plant and natural gas infrastructure freeze-ups due to inadequate weatherization of such facilities in the ERCOT region in Texas. Winter Storm Elliott in 2022 involved “freezing equipment and mechanical/electrical issues led to reliability lapses, and system operators narrowly avoided catastrophic gas service loss.” Winter Storm Fern encountered fewer problems due to better preparation. Coal and diesel oil shored up grid reliability along with natural gas, where it was available. Coal generation rose from 17% of the power share to 21% during the cold spell. More gas plants were ramping up and down to support higher levels of wind and solar on the grid. This means there is a lot of load volatility. Those peaking plants need to be ready to respond, which also entails more emissions. Supplying gas to new AI data centers also competes for pipeline capacity with gas that powers the grid.

     As I have noted many times, one of the most pressing reliability issues is inadequate gas pipeline capacity.

“In particular, the NPC report called for many more “fit-for-purpose” facilities — not just regular point-to-point pipeline capacity, but facilities capable of managing large fluctuations in demand in real time.”  

     Carr thinks FERC action to better coordinate gas and electric grids would be good, but also notes that due to employee loss, low morale, and lack of available staff, such new orders may not come quickly enough.

     Digging into the NPC’s report, one can see that firm transportation capacity share has moved from local distribution companies (LDCs) to power generation since 2010.

     The 181-page report goes into detail about the challenges facing different U.S. regions and power grids. The graphics, findings, and recommendations below are mainly from the executive summary. The report notes that gas pipeline expansion in recent years has mainly come from reversing flows and adding compression rather than building new pipelines.

“According to the EIA, approximately 44 Bcf/d of interstate natural gas capacity has been added in the United States since 2010.78 That about equals the average natural gas consumption for power generation nationwide during peak summer months. It is also enough gas to heat around 160 million homes annually—more than double the total number of U.S. households that use natural gas.” 

“With this level of expansion, one might reasonably assume that the ability of pipeline operators to support variable demand would be increasing, not decreasing. The reasons for this counterintuitive dynamic have to do with where the expansions have occurred, and how.” 

“First, nearly half of this expansion capacity was driven by the growing LNG export industry on the Gulf Coast, which reshaped interstate pipeline flows. Instead of moving gas primarily from Gulf producing basins to markets in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, flows increasingly shifted toward the Gulf to meet LNG demand for exports. At the same time, production growth in shale basins such as the Permian (West Texas and eastern New Mexico), Haynesville (Northwest Louisiana and eastern Texas), and Marcellus (Appalachia) positioned these regions as key suppliers for LNG exports.”

     One of the main issues has been the opposition to new gas pipelines by anti-fossil fuel activists. If we had been able to build more pipelines in the past 15 years, there would be far fewer reliability challenges than there are today. New pipeline projects have been essentially tortured by environmentalists with too much influence, causing years-long delays and massive ballooning costs. Now, as new demand comes, it is the gas and power consumers who are paying the price.

     As can be seen below, peak winter demand forecasts for PJM are very high and in need of being addressed.

     Below are some findings and recommendations for improving operational efficiencies and misalignments.

     Findings and recommendations for addressing fuel assurance are shown below.

     The table below shows that wind and solar have much smaller average capacity factors than combined cycle natural gas plants, and this is especially true in the PJM region, which is not ideal for solar or wind.  

     The map below shows where natural gas power plants are directly connected to selected major gas pipelines in the eastern U.S. The takeaway is that natural gas pipelines are needed to provide gas for electricity.

     The report concludes that there is a clear need for better natural gas and electric coordination to optimize these assets. The report concludes that there are not adequate incentives for fuel assurance and reliability assurance. It also concludes that communication and operational integration of the gas and electric systems are inadequate. The report notes that permitting reform could seriously aid gas-electric coordination, as detailed below.

  

 

References:

 

Happy Together – A Renewed Push for Tighter Gas-Electric Coordination as Potential Crises Loom. Housley Carr. RBN Energy, December 22, 2025. Happy Together – A Renewed Push for Tighter Gas-Electric Coordination as Potential Crises Loom | RBN Energy

Reliable Energy: Delivering on the Promise of Gas-Electric Coordination: A Report of the National Petroleum Council Committee on Gas-Electric Coordination. December 3, 2025. NPC_gas-electric_report_2025-12-3.pdf

Happy Together – Natural Gas and Electric Power More Intertwined Than Ever; NPC Sounds the Alarm. Housley Carr. RBN Energy. February 9, 2026. Happy Together – Natural Gas and Electric Power More Intertwined Than Ever; NPC Sounds the Alarm | RBN Energy

 

 

 

 

Inducing Heritable Structural Variation in Plants: A New Simple, Affordable, Safe, and Accessible Method Using the Cancer Drug Etoposide Can Replace Irradiation

     Radiation, or irradiation, has been used to induce mutation in plants, but it has safety issues, is impractical, and is random. It is used to induce genetic variety in plants. Selective farming of crops for centuries has led to more limited genetic variety and more difficulty in dealing with stresses such as dry conditions, high temperatures, and salty soil.

     A new method, known as etoposide mutagenesis, developed by researchers at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, uses etoposide, a cancer medication, to induce genetic variety in plants. It is also rather random, but researchers can select among the traits induced. As documented by Leslie Sattler for The Cool Down:

“When sprouting seeds encounter this drug, it disrupts an enzyme responsible for organizing DNA as cells multiply. Mistakes made during the cell's attempt to fix the resulting damage can scramble

“The technique requires only common lab supplies. Seeds initially grow in a solution containing the medication before being planted in soil to mature.”

"I was surprised at how efficient it was," said Mary Gehring, who teaches biology at MIT and led the research team, per Phys.org. "The diversity of new traits that you could see just by looking at the plants in the first generation was extensive."

     Testing indicates that about 66% of the treated samples led to new genetic traits. The method was first tested on the Arabidopsis thaliana plant. The researchers are now using the technique on pigeon peas, a legume food plant with great nutrition and protein profiles, but that has a limited gene pool. Better breeding for it can lead to it being a staple food for more people, especially across Africa and Asia. Pigeon peas are also in a lot of modern plant-based food products as the main protein source. Breeding more plants for the different heat, drought, and salinity conditions will lead to more successful crop yields and food with better nutrition.

“The process relies on standard laboratory tools: seeds are germinated on growth medium containing the drug, then transferred to soil to complete their life cycle.”

     Deletions, duplications, and rearrangements of DNA segments lead to the new genetic traits.

"All of the traits that we might want to see in pigeon pea are not present in the existing population," says Gehring. "The idea is to do a large-scale mutation experiment to increase genetic diversity."

     Another potential benefit of this new method is that it can be used on plants that are more challenging for gene-editing techniques like CRISPR to work.

“The new method complements existing genetic tools rather than replacing them. By providing a more accessible alternative to irradiation, chemical mutation could expand the availability of large-scale genetic changes and novel plant varieties.”

     Breeding by selection involves tapping the natural variation in the traits exhibited. However, that natural variation in traits may be limited now due to plant domestication and past selective breeding. The new method involves inducing new genetic traits. The new method is simple, affordable, and potentially applicable to a wide variety of plant species. Like irradiation, there is a random induction of traits.

     After treatment with etoposide, the mutants exhibited a variety of phenotypes and a spectrum of structural variation types. Etoposide treatment has been deemed an efficient method of inducing structural variation in plants.

 

Etoposide Mutagenesis Has Several Advantages and Can Replace Irradiation

     As detailed below, this new method can replace irradiation as a method of mutagenesis and be more accessible to more researchers.

 

   

References:

 

A simple method to efficiently generate structural variation in plants. Lindsey L. Bechen, Naiyara Ahsan, Alefiyah Bahrainwala, Mary Gehring, and Prasad R. V. Satyaki. PLoS Genetics 21(12): e1011977. A simple method to efficiently generate structural variation in plants | PLOS Genetics

Researchers make incredible breakthrough that could revolutionize how we grow food: 'I was surprised at how efficient it was'. Leslie Sattler. The Cool Down. February 8, 2026. Researchers make incredible breakthrough that could revolutionize how we grow food: 'I was surprised at how efficient it was'

New chemical method makes it easier to select desirable traits in crops. MacKenzie White, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. edited by Sadie Harley, reviewed by Robert Egan.Phys.org. January 9, 2026. New chemical method makes it easier to select desirable traits in crops

The UN Needs Reforms, But It Also Needs to Be Relevant and Effective

     I will make no bones. There are serious issues with the UN. Some sections, like the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, and the Human Rights Council, are biased and ineffective. There is a strong and unnecessary bias against Israel. I believe Russia should be booted from the UN Security Council for its criminal and imperialist behavior. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the refugee agency in Gaza, has been proven to be full of Hamas operatives – basically a UN agency amply populated with terrorists, which is entirely unacceptable.

     One of the big critiques of USAID before it was unceremoniously dismantled was that it was inefficient, paid NGOs, some with extreme biases, and with “wokeness.” While those critiques are valid, dismantling the whole program was a terrible move. It was overkill. It dismantled important U.S. soft power around the world. As I have written about elsewhere, the U.S. was not the biggest contributor per capita, or per GNI, to international aid. It was individual countries in Europe. China does not give much in comparison to both.

     UN chief António Guterres warned about a week ago that the UN is in dire straits because of members not paying their dues, in particular the U.S. Specifically, he said it is at risk of "imminent financial collapse."

“It comes after the UN's largest contributor, the US, refused to contribute to its regular and peacekeeping budgets, and withdrew from several agencies it called a "waste of taxpayer dollars".

     He also noted that 77% of 2025’s dues remain unpaid.

He wrote: "The bottom line is clear: either all member states honour their obligations to pay in full and on time – or member states must fundamentally overhaul our financial rules to prevent an imminent financial collapse."

     In January, the U.S. withdrew from 31 UN agencies in order to "end American taxpayer funding and involvement in entities that advance globalist agendas over US priorities". Apparently, America First means punishing international organizations and anti-globalism. The U.S. warned the UN must “adapt or die.”

     The situation is that the U.S., now led by a cadre of billionaires (13 billionaires in the cabinet alone and more as advisors), is pulling funding from the UN, the world’s main international organization. There may be some possible alternatives, like Trump’s Board of Peace, which plans to be funded by wealthy heads of state and other wealthy individuals. Now, I can understand why they do not want the UN to lead things in Gaza after the UNRWA catastrophe, but they will likely be involved anyway.

     In 2022, the U.S. funded UN humanitarian programs with $17 billion. In late December 2025, the U.S. pledged just $2 billion for humanitarian aid, more than eight times less. Below is some unpaid funding data as of April 30, 2025.

     Program cuts and layoffs have already begun at the UN in response. An opinion article in the New York Post by Paul du Quenoy basically says good riddance, calling the UN “morally and financially bankrupt.”

     Things now on the table include closing its iconic Manhattan headquarters and cancelling its annual General Assembly meeting in September. He also writes, however, that it is the current U.S. administration that is responsible for the shortfall. It is basically another of the many, many “shakedowns” the Trump administration has engaged in.

“A towering 95% of its projected $2.2 billion shortfall is money the UN says the United States owes in unpaid dues from 2025 and as-yet-unpaid dues for 2026, per a senior UN official who briefed the press on the would-be world government’s rapidly impending insolvency.”

     As I noted before, I am not a fan of Guterres. While his humanitarian credentials are very good and worthy of praise, his political bent as an avowed socialist is not in line with good governance.

     The UN does have reform plans in progress. Guterres announced in March 2025 the UN80 Initiative, which is designed to make the UN more “agile, integrated, and better equipped to respond to contemporary global challenges.” The initiative includes budget cuts and consolidations. The plan was to trim its budget by 20% in 2026. According to an article in the Council on Foreign Relations:

“The UN80 Task Force is also exploring moving the home bases of various agencies out of hubs, including New York and Geneva, to be closer to their service areas and cut costs.”

     Declining trust, financial pressures, and bureaucracy are pushing the world body to reform.

     There are real concerns for real people about funding cuts as well:

“Unless there’s a bit of a turnaround on the budget front… there is going to be human suffering,” Gowan said. “There will be fewer people being fed. There will be fewer people being vaccinated or sheltered by the United Nations if the cuts are not, at least in part, reversed.”

      Is this what we want? No, I say. It’s one thing to punish the UN and completely another to punish human beings by abandoning them when they are in need. One good thing, perhaps, is that Guterres’ term is set to end in December 2026, and perhaps a reset with a more pragmatic leader can help reduce waste, bloat, and ineffectiveness. While the Trump people exert maximum leverage against the UN, there is little hope of ‘business as usual’ and very real concerns of a downsizing that also includes a real human toll. I do hope the U.S. will reconsider funding more vital humanitarian programs. I also hope the UN will announce some more substantial reforms.

  

References:

 

Let the morally and financially bankrupt UN perish. Opinion by Paul du Quenoy. New York Post. February 7, 2026. Let the morally and financially bankrupt UN perish

UN risks 'imminent financial collapse', secretary general warns. Maia Davies. BBC. January 30, 2026. UN risks 'imminent financial collapse', secretary general warns

The UN80 Initiative: What to Know About the United Nations’ Reform Plan. Council on Foreign Relations. September 15, 2025. The UN80 Initiative: What to Know About the United Nations’ Reform Plan | Council on Foreign Relations

Meteor Impact Structures (Astroblemes) in Southern Ohio and Eastern Kentucky: Confirmed, Probable, and Possible

      There are impact structures, also known as astroblemes, all over the world. The impacts may be made by either planetoidal bodies (meteors) or comets. Wikipedia describes impact structures and impact craters as follows:

“An impact structure is a generally circular or craterlike geologic structure of deformed bedrock or sediment produced by impact on a planetary surface, whatever the stage of erosion of the structure. In contrast, an impact crater is the surface expression of an impact structure. In many cases, on Earth, the impact crater has been destroyed by erosion, leaving only the deformed rock or sediment of the impact structure behind.

“In an impact structure, the typical visible and topographic expressions of an impact crater are no longer obvious. Any meteorite fragments that may once have been present would be long since eroded away. Possible impact structures may be initially recognized by their anomalous geological character or geophysical expression. These may still be confirmed as impact structures by the presence of shocked minerals (particularly shocked quartz), shatter cones, geochemical evidence of extraterrestrial material or other methods.”

     These structures used to be called crypto-explosive structures or, in some cases, crypto-volcanic structures since their origins were often unclear. Most were later confirmed as meteor impact structures, and the previous terms have fallen out of use. Impact craters are often eroded, which can further complicate interpretation. 

     A model of an impact is shown below:

     The Earth Impact Database, begun in 1955, recognizes 190 confirmed impact structures worldwide. The last new one confirmed was in 2019. Other lists contain many more possible and probable impact structure sites. Impact structures have also been mapped in the subsurface. 

     I know of at least one mapped and interpreted in the Ohio subsurface by a colleague. I don’t know how big it is deemed to be, but I think it was discovered through mapping Silurian-aged rocks in the subsurface by picking formation tops from oil & gas geophysical well logs. In the area of concern, the wells were closely spaced, which likely improved the mapping. If I recall correctly, it was in northeastern Ohio.

     There are three mapped impact structures in Kentucky and one in Ohio, not including the one mapped in the subsurface. Ohio’s Serpent Mound impact structure is well studied. According to the Earth Impact Database, the Serpent Mound Structure in Ohio and the Middlesboro Structure in Kentucky are confirmed impact craters. The Jeptha Knob Structure in Kentucky is a probable impact structure, and the Versailles Structure in Kentucky is a possible impact structure. The one mapped in the subsurface would also be a possible impact structure. Below is an old map of faults and structures of Eastern Kentucky with the three impact structures included. The Serpent Mound impact structure is just to the north near the Glenville Front suture zone.

     Around the world, some of the most important meteor impact sites include the impact crater offshore the Yucatan Peninsula that is considered to be the impact event that destroyed the dinosaurs and much of Cretaceous-aged life about 66 million years ago. It is considered one of the most significant mass extinction events. That crater is very large at 170 km in diameter. The largest one in the U.S. is the 60km diameter crater in Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay. Canada has two larger than that, with the largest one in North America at Sudbury, Ontario, at 250km in diameter.

     The largest known meteor impact that ever hit the Earth is thought to be 520 km (323 miles) in diameter. This suspected meteor impact is buried in the subsurface of Australia. It was discovered and analyzed with geophysical methods, including seismic and aeromagnetic surveys. This impact is buried about 4000 meters below the surface, and the impact is thought to have occurred between 440 and over 500 million years ago. If confirmed, it would be larger than the previous largest known one at 300 km in diameter in South Africa. According to a 2023 Forbes story by geologist David Bressan about the buried crater and other impact structures:

“About 200 terrestrial impact craters are currently known. Over half are located in Europe, North America and Australia. The ages of the great majority of preserved impact structures are less than 200 million years, and structures smaller than 5 kilometers are greatly underrepresented. The observed distributions of crater sizes and ages have been biased by post-impact processes. Erosion tends to quickly destroy or bury craters (especially the smaller ones) in tectonically active areas, like near fault zones or on the seafloor. Impact craters are best preserved inside the stable cores of the continents, like the Canadian-, Fennoscandian- and Australian Cratons.”

     Thus, the ones we know are not the whole story. Many smaller ones have been eroded or deformed so that they can no longer be observed. Others have likely not been found yet. Many others are likely buried as well.

     Many years ago, I visited the Serpent Mound region of the impact crater and even collected a few interesting rocks, which I think are carbonates, either Limestone or Dolomite, likely of Silurian age. The impressive Native American earthwork is built within the southern part of the impact crater. The native people likely noticed some kind of geological anomaly there.

     These structures will often exhibit post-impact rebound. This is perhaps one reason why Jeptha Knob exhibits the highest elevation in Kentucky’s bluegrass region, rising some 300 feet higher than the surrounding terrain.

     

        Impact Structures of Southern Ohio and Eastern Kentucky

     As noted below, impact structures exhibit the presence of shocked quartz, such as coesite, which indicates high pressure from impact. They also may exhibit breccia and shatter cones, indicative of impact metamorphism.

References:

 

Impact structure. Wikipedia. Impact structure - Wikipedia

Earth Impact Database. Wikipedia. Earth Impact Database - Wikipedia

The Serpent Mound Impact Structure. Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The Serpent Mound Impact Structure | Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Guide to the Serpent Mound Impact Structure, South-Central Ohio. Keith A. Milam. Department of Geological Sciences. Ohio University. Field Trip 1 of the Geological Society of America North-Central Section 46th Annual Meeting. Dayton, Ohio, April 22–24, 2012. GB22_Milam_2016_EOGS10023.pdf

Did You Know That Meteorites Have Hit Kentucky? Kentucky Geological Survey. Meteorites Have Hit Kentucky, Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky

Geophysical Evidence Suggests That the World’s Largest Impact Crater Is Buried Deep Beneath Australia. David Bressan. Forbes. August 11, 2023. Geophysical Evidence Suggests That The World’s Largest Impact Crater Is Buried Deep Beneath Australia

List of impact structures in North America. Wikipedia. List of impact structures in North America - Wikipedia

Jeptha Knob. Wikipedia. Jeptha Knob - Wikipedia

Middlesboro crater. Wikipedia. Middlesboro crater - Wikipedia

 

Norge Mining’s Phosphate Deposit in Norway is Assessed as the World’s Largest with First Mine Expected Online in 2029

     Norway’s Norge Mining completed exploration of the largest phosphate discovery in the world in Norway in mid-2023. They tagged the resource at 70 billion tons. About 90% of mined phosphorus is used to make fertilizer. The other 10% is used in lithium-iron-phosphate batteries, solar panels, and other green technologies. Before this discovery, the largest global phosphate deposit was deemed to be in Morocco in the western Sahara region, where 50 billion tons have been identified. The next largest amount is 3.2 billion tons in China, 2.8 billion tons in Egypt, and 2.2 billion tons. billion tons in Algeria. Thus, this is a huge find. The EU is currently entirely dependent on imports for phosphate, and a European source would be most welcome.

     The company is engaged with ESG goals and is aiming to achieve carbon-neutral mining operations. According to Norge’s 2024 annual report:

“Norge Mineraler aims to leverage low-emission technologies by supplying critical minerals produced through carbon neutral operations. This will be achieved by implementing future-ready infrastructure such as electric machinery and energy-efficient technologies to reduce emissions and operational costs in the long-term. The incremental costs associated with low-emission technologies, compared to traditional alternatives, could serve as a competitive advantage for Norge Mining.”

     There is still concern about the environmental footprint, however, since extracting and refining phosphate is energy-intensive. Norway is already a leader in low-emissions industrial processes. Thus, it is expected that this project will have high environmental standards. The company plans to include carbon capture and storage to mitigate emissions from the mining and processing.

     Norge’s massive phosphate discovery basically doubles known global phosphate reserves, which were at 71 billion tons. Vanadium and titanium can also be produced from the site, which reinforces its strategic importance for the EU.

     According to the Geological Survey of Norway:

“A large variety of phosphate-rock deposits and occurrences are found in Norway and references therein. They include sedimentary, igneous and hydrothermal deposits.”

     As can be seen below, the titanium revenue stream is expected to be slightly larger than the phosphate revenue stream, with the vanadium revenue stream small by comparison. Some magnetite iron ore will be mined as well.

     Norway’s Rogaland region in the southwest of the country hosts the Precambrian-aged igneous rock that contains the bulk of the phosphate. One advantage of igneous rock phosphate deposits over sedimentary rock phosphate deposits is the igneous rock’s low heavy-metal content (unlike sedimentary phosphates), which eases processing burdens. The Eigersund Project will be the first mining area developed.

  

 

 

References:

 

Norway announces the discovery of a 70 billion tonne phosphate deposit. WillAgri. April 29, 2025. Norway announces the discovery of a 70 billion tonne phosphate deposit - Willagri - Comprendre les enjeux de l'agriculture

Geologists Uncover World’s Largest Phosphate Deposit Worth $12 Trillion in Totally Unexpected Location: In a location no one expected, Geologists have uncovered a buried resource of staggering scale. Valued in the trillions, this find could quietly disrupt global industries. Arezki Amiri. Daily Galaxy. May 6, 2025. Geologists Uncover World’s Largest Phosphate Deposit Worth $12 Trillion in Totally Unexpected Location

Norway's new phosphate deposits are so massive they could guarantee solar power and electric cars keep running for the next 50 years. George Glover. Business Insider. July 8, 2023. Norway: Huge Mineral Find Will Help Electric Cars of Future Keep Running - Business Insider

Norway to develop massive phosphate deposit: Norge Mining has completed an exploration, uncovering 70 billion tonnes of phosphate. Florence Jones. Mining Technology. July 4, 2023. Norway to develop giant phosphate deposit

Norge Mining Annual Report for the Year Ended 30 June 2024. Norge Mining. Norge-AR2024_final__encrypted_-SIGNED.pdf

Phosphate rock resources in Norway. Geological Survey of Norway. Potential phosphate rock resources in Norway | NGU

Norway Phosphate Discovery: A Game-Changer for Critical Raw Materials: Unearthing Rogaland's Hidden Treasures – Phosphate, Titanium, and Vanadium Reserves That Could Power the Future. Paulo Fernando de Barros. The Boreal Times. November 15, 2025. Norway Phosphate Discovery: A Game-Changer for Critical Raw Materials - The Boreal Times