Natural Resources committee  To start, I think Canada has a significant advantage in that it does host a vast majority of the critical rare earth element oxides, notably the heavy rare earth. Obviously from the U.S. government's standpoint, they're looking at the development of a hub or a North American silo rare earth supply chain.

Natural Resources committee  Most of our conversations have been with non-Chinese entities, Europeans as well as North Americans. Although there is a recognition that pricing mechanisms for rare earths out of China are competitive, the non-Chinese entities are concerned about further disruptions of the supply chain and are willing to accept a premium to alternative sources for those rare earths.

Natural Resources committee  There are actually several points. You've heard the number of 10 years from commencement to development to bring up any mine-particular errors in production. In actual fact, Strange Lake has a much longer history than that. The original discovery in the area was made in the late 1970s.

Natural Resources committee  I think that a lot of the processes, in general, have parallels among them. Strange Lake is a truly unique deposit, geologically as well as technically, in that it is related to conventional granite. The research that was done, as well as our research, indicated a very efficient recovery of the metals at high recovery rates, but I think, as has been pointed out, that the critical path is also the separation step.

Natural Resources committee  No.

Natural Resources committee  I think that as a general rule it has been supportive of the rare earth and other commodity areas in Canada.

Natural Resources committee  Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, Quest Rare Minerals is a Canadian-based exploration and development company. We are in the enviable position right now of providing the basis for the foundation of a new and very promising Canadian industrial sector, the rare earth supply chain.