“The Promise of Byproduct Recovery to Meet Critical Mineral Needs” Webinar

On Tuesday April 21, 2026, the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) Federal Lands and Waters Community of Practice broadcast the webinar “The Promise of Byproduct Recovery to Meet Critical Mineral Needs” to GAO staff and members of INTOSAI’s Working Group on Audit of Extractive Industries. Dr. Elizabeth Holley discussed her research on how existing mines can reduce reliance on critical mineral imports. She shared lessons learned on how countries can create systems to incentivize recovering mineral byproducts (in addition to recovering the most lucrative minerals) while developing their mineral wealth.

Dr. Elizabeth Holley is an exploration and mining geologist who studies the processes responsible for ore deposit genesis, as well as the geologic characteristics that determine how ore bodies are developed, mined, and reclaimed. Her interdisciplinary work examines strategic pathways for critical mineral supply and the intersections between the technical and social risks in mining, and she is a fellow of the Payne Institute for Public Policy. Dr. Holley’s Mining Geology Research Group has been supported by the Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, CDC NIOSH, the USGS, major and mid-tier mining companies, and philanthropic foundations. Dr. Holley has worked in the industry on five continents, and she has contributed to the discovery of the White Gold deposit in the Yukon. She organized nearly 200 professional development short courses for the Society of Economic Geologists, is a fellow of the society, and served as the 2022 Society of Economic Geologists Distinguished Lecturer. Dr. Holley is a member of the naitonal Academies Committee on Earth Resources.

Watch the webinar below.