MissionIR's  Instablog

Rare Element Resources, which was essentially formed to develop the Bear Lodge Critical Rare Earth Project, reported today that the company has now secured proper notice from the U.S. Forest Service that their plan of operations for the project passes muster for NEPA process (impact and mitigation analysis) formal proceedings to begin.

Extensive USGS data has confirmed estimates of the Bear Lodge site potential, making it one of the biggest deposits of disseminated rare-earth elements in all of North America and there is some good gold and copper mineralization here as well. The plan of operations provides a comprehensive blueprint outlining affected areas and the anticipated environmental protection requirements, in addition to a detail run-down of the proposed operations and the plan will be available on the Rare Element Resources website as early as this June 1.

COO of REE, Jaye Pickarts, happily noted that today's announcement clears the way for the next phase of development at Bear Lodge and made sure to thank the Bear Lodge District Forest Service, as well as U.S. Forest Service officials (whose job it is to ensure NEPA process compliance), for their efforts in carefully reviewing the proposed plan. The plan packs in all of the laborious environmental/engineering work done thus far on Bear Lodge and REE is set up really nicely here for the upcoming EIS (environmental impact statement), which will form a major part of the NEPA process.

Pickarts pledged that REE will continue to fully support the NEPA process moving forward with all the technical help they are able to assemble and he then doubled-down on REE's commitment to assisting Forest Service personnel, as well as other state and federal agencies as the project advances.

President and CEO of REE, Randall Scott, called today's announcement a major environmental and project milestone, tipping his hat to investors about how fortunate REE is to have a lock on this exceptional resource site in the mining-friendly state of Wyoming. Scott pointed to superb logistics, existing infrastructure, and the rich pool of talented personnel available in northeast Wyoming as positive leading indicators of developmental success, underscoring the diligent engagement of state officials, business leaders, and area residents by the company, all of whom Scott was confident understood the vast benefits of properly executed natural resource development like this.

Bear Lodge has a bunch of the critical rare earths we need to fuel the domestic economy in coming decades and with the global market supply for rare earths increasingly scarce, as more hands chase fewer inputs, the project is also of strategic importance for the U.S. economy as a whole. Electronics of every sort, fiber optics, hybrid cars, solar panels, and a variety of other high-tech applications are generating unprecedented global demand for rare earths, especially the rarer kinds available in abundance at Bear Lodge and it is reassuring to know that permitting and feasibility are already well underway.

To learn more about Rare Element Resources, visit www.RareElementResources.com

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On May 23, 2013, pSivida Corp. published a new blog post on The Chairman's Blog entitled "Big and Small Picture," penned by company President and CEO Dr. Paul Ashton. Located at TheChairmansBlog.com, The Chairman's Blog is an exclusive online media publication offering key executives a platform for sharing insights about their companies and industry trends.

In the newly published blog, Dr. Ashton elaborates on the age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and chronic diabetic macular edema (DME) markets, as well as competitors in the space. He also provides an overview of recent news relating to the company's ILUVIEN, which is a sustained-release insert that has been approved in Europe for chronic DME. Ashton further explains the company's profit split with ILUVIEN's licensee, Alimera Sciences.

In addition to enabling upper-tier management to discuss issues of importance to their stakeholders, shareholders, and other interested parties, TheChairmansBlog.com features articles on such topics as finance, technology, health and energy, which have been contributed by staff and aggregate partners. The site additionally provides updated market trends, news and information.

Headquartered in Watertown, Mass., pSivida Corp. specializes in the development of tiny, sustained-release drug delivery products that are designed to release drugs at a controlled and steady rate over the course of months or years. The company is presently focused on treating chronic diseases of the back of the eye, utilizing Durasert and BioSilicon, its core technology systems. The company also has two FDA-approved products, Vitrasert and Retisert, which are licensed to Bausch & Lomb. pSivida has licensed ILUVIEN for DME to Alimera Sciences, and that product has been granted marketing authorization in Austria, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

The company additionally has clinical trials ongoing for the treatment of posterior uveitis and glaucoma and ocular hypertension. Other technologies the company has in development include protein and antibody delivery systems, which are in early clinical stages. For more information, visit www.pSivida.com

To read Dr. Paul Ashton's full blog post, visit www.TheChairmansBlog.com

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CRAiLAR Technologies announced that it has joined the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC). The company will use the group's sustainability measurement tool, the Higg Index, to measure environmental responsibility across its agriculture and manufacturing processes.

"We welcome CRAiLAR to the Coalition, and look forward to their participation in this industry-wide effort in sustainability, " said Coalition Executive Director Jason Kibbey. "Having CRAiLAR as part of the Coalition…accelerates the change we're making towards responsible industry actions."

The Higg Index is an open source, indicator-based tool that allows suppliers, manufacturers, brands, and retailers to evaluate materials, products, facilities, and processes based on environmental and design choices. CRAiLAR will contribute data and resources to support the Higg Index in an effort to make its supply chain decision-making more efficient and environmentally sustainable.

"With the SAC's leadership position in the apparel and textiles sectors, we are pleased to contribute to a model for how industries can collaborate in making a positive impact on value chain performance," said Ken Barker, CRAiLAR's CEO. "CRAiLAR Flax is a natural fiber that can make an immediate and dramatic impact on product sustainability, a priority of SAC members and non-members alike."

CRAiLAR joins more than 90 global brands, retailers and manufacturers, governments, non-profit environmental organizations, and academic institutions committed to improving supply chain sustainability in the apparel and footwear industries. For more information on SAC, the complete Higg Index, and a full list of members, please visit www.apparelcoalition.org.

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