Palladium may well be an underexplored element and therefore an opportunity for prospectors and geologists. This is because they are often less than obvious and other than the native metals, a chemical analysis of samples is required to identify PGM-enriched rocks.

The need to bring mining back to North America is more urgent than ever.

Just recently, the miners hit another big pocket, this time with nearly 1,000 ounces of gold. Some of the rich specimens were as big as a fist and others were in the form of smaller pieces.

Hennis claims that months later and without his permission, the EPA built a $2.3 million water treatment facility on the property and the agency continues treating water and storing waste there.

The settlement did not grant an immediate approval for the project, but it did begin to clear the way for the company to apply for federal permits—a path the Obama administration previously had thwarted.

According to some experts, after the peak is reached, the production rate will slowly decline until it reaches near zero while the price shoots upward. At that point, we will have pretty much mined all the economic ore deposits that are present on the planet.