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The article is 6 months old and the study it's based on is more than 1 year old. How is the project?

There are rare earth minerals everywhere. Even when they are economically viable to extract, most countries are unwilling to, because of the environmental costs associated with mining and refining. As well as the human health costs for workers. I'm not sure Japan will be willing to pay that price.

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Is there no way to mine them in a way that has less impact on the environment?

I imagine that a tech country like Japan could come up with viable solutions.

Of course there is. Do you think many are willing to pay the price though?

Apart from some publicised exceptions virtually every person on Earth prefers to externalize costs onto the environment when purchasing products.

The nice thing about this specific resource is that it is under water, negating many of the problems you mention.

Maybe you meant to be sarcastic but being underwater doesn't negate any of the environmental concerns linked with pollution, treatment of by-products and their effect on the ecosystem.

If it is in the ocean that would be a disaster.

Doesn't most pollution end up in the oceans, anyway? If mining pollutes rivers, those rivers spill into the ocean eventually.

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