Aug 13, 2026 – 12.06pmA plan to use Australian taxpayer funds to build a rare earths mine within several hundred metres of Brazilian homes, preschools and hospitals is facing opposition from lawmakers in the affected town.City councillors from Pocos de Caldas, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, have written to ASX-listed Viridis Mining, seeking changes to the design of its $US286 million ($405 million) Colossus project, which would extract rare earths from soils on the edge of town.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles