On a chilly morning in November in Fowler, St. Lawrence County, New York, while strong winds carried snow and rain, the 30-foot-tall spruce trees were bending under the force. However, Joel Rheault, the Vice President of Operations for Titan Mining Corporation based in New York, found himself enjoying a warm and cozy moment on top of the bowl-shaped crater formed by explosives.
Below him was an open-pit mine in the zinc tailings nearby, where a bulldozer was loosening the freshly blasted soil and pushing boulders aside.
“We just finished the drilling and blasting operation,” Rheault said. “It’s a wonderful thing.”
This “wonderful thing” in the making is the $360 million investment in the Kilbourne Graphite Project by Titan Mining Corporation. Located within the century-old zinc mine and beneficiation plant owned by the mining company in New York, this project is a crucial initiative for the United States. Advancing this project can develop a domestic manufacturing supply chain not subject to China’s mineral market manipulation and is expected to revitalize the rural areas of St. Lawrence County in New York. The small town in St. Lawrence County was once proud of its local mining tradition, but it has been in decline for the past few decades.
Graphite is one of the 54 “critical to the economy or national security” commodities identified by the Geological Survey of the Department of the Interior in the United States. In 2022, the U.S. had a dependence of 100% on imports of graphite and 11 other critical minerals. Processing enterprises in China control at least 75% of the global market share of at least 30 critical commodities.
“As a crucial mineral, graphite has not been produced in the United States for over seventy years,” Rheault told The Epoch Times. “Our goal is to become the first graphite producer in the market.”
Graphite is known for its high temperature resistance and conductivity, making it an ideal material for lithium-ion batteries, industrial lubricants, and fireproof, lightweight machinery and components in various industries.
According to data released by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2025, as of 2024, the U.S. no longer produced natural graphite. Domestic manufacturers in the U.S. rely on imports, with over 60,000 tons of graphite imported that year. Between 2020 and 2023, 43% of the U.S. graphite imports came from China, while China’s graphite production accounted for 78% of global consumption last year.
For the past few decades, the lack of “middle stream” capacity (i.e., steel mills, smelters, and refining facilities) in the U.S. due to China’s market control has led to an increasing reliance on imported critical minerals, which has been a worrisome issue. Rheault mentioned that since President Donald Trump won a second term in November 2024, the issue of safeguarding domestic supply chain security has received “much more attention.”
A report titled “Graphite and Manganese Mining in the U.S.: Proposed Projects and Federal Battery Mineral Policies” from the Colorado School of Mines revealed that at least five projects are planned to develop graphite in the U.S. under the push of the Trump administration’s incentive measures. Titan Mining Corporation’s plan for a graphite project producing 40,000 tons annually is one of them.
Compared to other projects, the Kilbourne Graphite Project of Empire State Mines, a subsidiary of Titan Mining Corporation, has distinct advantages.
According to Titan Mining Corporation, the 800-acre open-pit mine is within the existing zinc ore range and is less than a mile from the beneficiation plant. This means that the project almost does not require additional infrastructure construction.
“We have advanced mining processes in place, everything is ready,” Rheault said. “We aim to produce graphite concentrate by the end of this year.”
Zinc is also one of the 54 critical minerals listed by the Geological Survey. According to an analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., the United States exported 580,000 tons of zinc ore from its zinc mines, yet in 2024, 73% of the zinc used by U.S. manufacturers was imported.
Titan Mining Corporation is a subsidiary of the Toronto-based Augusta Group led by Canadian investor Richard Warke, renamed Empire State Mines in 2017. Titan Mining Corporation acquired shares of Balmat Holding Corporation in 2016, and Rheault joined Empire State Mines in 2018 to “restart the zinc mining business.”
As a Canadian citizen with a U.S. green card, Rheault has managed mines in Canada, the U.S., South America, and Europe.
“I’ve been in this industry for almost 40 years,” he said.
Rheault mentioned that within a 30-mile radius in St. Lawrence County, New York, there were as many as six operating zinc mines since 1915, with at least one mine “operating continuously from the 1930s to 2001.”
However, when Rheault reopened the mines upon his arrival, these mines had been in “maintenance mode” for over ten years.
“The resources have been underground until someone can develop them into a viable commercial project. And that someone is Titan Mining Corporation,” he said.
Titan Mining Corporation stated that they secured a $15.8 million loan from the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. to extend the mining period by six to seven years. Meanwhile, on the 120,000 acres of land where they hold mineral rights, Titan Mining Corporation is also focused on exploration and development of “other zinc ore bodies.”
In 2023, geological scientists led by Empire State Mines’ exploration manager Connor Messler discovered graphite while analyzing rocks in 45 diamond drill holes (total drilling depth of 42,000 feet).
In December 2024, Titan Mining Corporation estimated an average graphite content of nearly 3% in 22 million tons of ore, enough to reach a production of 650,000 tons of this critical mineral.
Rheault mentioned that the push by the Trump administration on critical minerals is promoting the resurgence of domestic mining industry.
“They understand that if you don’t control your resources, you can’t control your destiny, which is very good,” he said.
According to the Department of Energy, President Trump issued two executive orders on his first day in office, declaring a National Energy Emergency and Unleashing American Energy. These two executive orders aim to “ensure a more secure, predictable, and reasonably priced supply of critical minerals.” Subsequently, in March, he issued another executive order requiring agencies to streamline approval processes. In July, he imposed a 93.5% tariff on graphite imports from China.
On October 7, the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. announced its intention to provide up to $120 million in financing subsidies for Titan Mining Corporation’s graphite project construction. The bank stated that the graphite project by Titan Mining Corporation is a “U.S. strategic critical mineral asset that aligns with national priorities, will create high-quality U.S. jobs, and enhance the resilience of the U.S. supply chain.” On October 14, the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council approved the project for expedited regulatory review.
Rheault mentioned that the loan, relaxed permit requirements, and the company’s listing on the New York Stock Exchange on November 3, among other favorable factors, are stimulating investment, and an updated technical report is expected to be released soon.
“We see a lot of interest in this project,” he said.
The loan provided by the bank significantly reduces the investment risk of the project. For St. Lawrence County in New York, this is an exciting national news and a front-page headline. St. Lawrence County is located between the Adirondack Mountains and Lake Ontario, spread along the St. Lawrence River, sparsely populated and larger in area than both Rhode Island and Delaware.
Patrick Kelly, Executive Director of the St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency, told The Epoch Times, “We are an agricultural county with rich natural resources, minerals, timber, agriculture, and dairy products.”
St. Lawrence County is the largest county in New York and is home to an Amish community, where horse-drawn carriages travel along country roads.
“This is an opportunity to support an important industry with a century-old history in St. Lawrence County and bring new growth and development. The geopolitical situation at present seems to be heading in our favor. At this time, a company with the right business model is collaborating with us,” Kelly said.
Over the past few decades, development in St. Lawrence County has stagnated. According to U.S. Census records, the population was 111,200 in 1960, and in 2022, it was only 107,733. Many school districts in the county have seen declining enrollment numbers since 1990.
Ricky Newvine, the Mayor of Fowler, stated that the population decline is due to people being “fed up with New York’s taxes,” which has led to businesses relocating, ultimately raising taxes even higher.
When Newvine was first elected as Mayor in 1990, property taxes were “very low.”
“Previously, most of the homeowner costs were covered by commercial landowners, but now the ratio is about fifty-fifty,” he told The Epoch Times.
“There are fewer businesses in town. Over the years, we have had three or four businesses leave, which has had a big impact on us.”
Before Empire State Mines reopened in 2018, only dozens of employees were responsible for maintaining the mining area. Rheault expanded the workforce to 90 employees, and 58 additional employees have been added since 2025, with 30 added from July to September. Currently, the company has a total of 165 employees, with an annual payroll of $16 million.
“This money flows through the entire regional economy,” Kelly said. “You feel it in restaurants, car dealerships, as well as in school enrollment numbers and local hospital payments. These are hidden benefits. In rural areas, especially in economically disadvantaged counties, high-quality job opportunities are crucial.”
Local resident Ryan Powers owns a snowmobile and ATV dealership called Fun Unlimited near the mining area. He found that the sales of “recreational supplies” by young people working in the mining area have increased.
“It’s a very healthy job,” he told The Epoch Times. “I can hear them getting to work every morning at 4:30 or 5. My biggest request is to lower the speed limit on the roads around here.”
According to the World Population Review, Empire State Mines spans Fowler (population 2,145) and Gouverneur Village (population 3,579).
Gouverneur Village is split by Route 11, divided by the Oswegatchie River, six miles from the mining area. Here, there are two grocery stores, several restaurants, and a hotel, but Gouverneur Village Mayor Ron McDougall told The Epoch Times that calling the area a “business center” is a generous term.
He mentioned that the discovery of graphite by Titan Mining Corporation is “the most economically beneficial news for Gouverneur in a long time.”
“We should thank the geologists,” McDougall said. He has been a member of the Central Trades and Labor Council of counties such as Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence since the 1980s. “We should build a monument to them. This discovery is significant and offers numerous economic opportunities for our people.”
McDougall mentioned that the western slopes of the Adirondack Mountains offer the best fishing and hunting grounds in the United States, as well as the largest hardwood forests east of the Mississippi River, but these areas may not be suitable for development.
Newvine, the town mayor, mentioned that Titan Mining Corporation’s progress in restarting zinc mining and discovering graphite has exceeded expectations.
“They said they would add 10 to 15 positions before, but now they say they will add over fifty,” he said.
Rheault mentioned that the workforce has almost doubled over the past few years, which is “significant for this small town.” He does not promise to bring back the glory of the 1960s and 1970s to the town, but sees potential for stability and profitability.
Clara Cummings, Human Resources Manager at Empire State Mines, is a native of Gouverneur and her family once owned the village’s only motor hotel. She considers herself an ally for local job seekers.
“This is a mining town,” Cummings said. “It’s a place that has seen ups and downs.”
Cummings hires high school graduates locally, often from families she has known since childhood, which she takes great pride in.
“I know these young people who have just graduated from high school. They grew up with my kids. For me, being able to provide them with these job opportunities is very meaningful,” she said.
Among these “young people” is 23-year-old Cayden Stowell. Hired as a surface laborer in November 2021, Stowell is now an excavator operator. Stowell is a fourth-generation miner, working alongside his father, uncle, and two sets of twin cousins.
But this was not Stowell’s initial plan. As a star running back on the Gouverneur High School football team, he averaged nearly 10 yards per carry during the 2019 season, with 17 touchdowns, and was rated one of the top high school halfbacks in the state.
“I was aiming for a football scholarship and applied to many colleges,” Stowell told The Epoch Times. “My mom stuffed all the college responses into a junk drawer. I did receive an acceptance letter from Norwich University, but by the time I saw it, it was too late.”
He mentioned that the teamwork skills he learned in football can now be applied in “a different world, 5,000 feet underground, a mile away from the mine shaft.”
“We all have one goal—everything revolves around that goal,” he explained. “Everyone has the same idea, just different roles.”
The miners at Empire State Mines see themselves as part of a larger team working to build a critical mineral supply chain not subject to market manipulation by China.
“This is significant not just for us but for the country as well,” Stowell said.
In Titan Mining Corporation’s zinc plant, iron grates walkways and ladders surround the cone grinders, which transport crushed stone to chemical flotation cells, reminiscent of an engine room on an aircraft carrier.
Rheault mentioned that the grinders, tanks, and mechanical equipment are located in a covered area in the plant. The graphite grinder has been partially assembled and will ultimately produce flake graphite that meets manufacturer specifications.
He said that this grinder can convert the ores into metal, which will eventually be molded into ingots.
Rheault mentioned, “Products with higher purity,” like batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), require “strict technical requirements” and “years of repeated testing.”
“The electric vehicle market is growing and will not contract, only continue to expand,” he said. “Electrification requires infrastructure, and we are a part of that infrastructure construction.”
In the adjacent warehouse, the ores are already piled up.
“We are preparing to process these ores in the pilot plant. People have already contacted us requesting samples,” he said.
Local residents are closely monitoring everything happening here.
“There is much to be done before all of this becomes a reality. But is this a good thing? Absolutely,” Newvine said.
McDougall mentioned that local officials hope the Pentagon becomes the main customer for the project and are confident in the continuous development of the project since former New York Governor George Pataki and former U.S. House Speaker John Boehner (Republican/Ohio) are both on the board of directors of Titan Mining Corporation.
“Pataki has been here,” said McDougall. “He couldn’t even pronounce Gouverneur at the time.”
Besides graphite and zinc, Empire State Mines is likely to produce a third critical mineral. On October 20, Titan Mining Corporation revealed that germanium was found in the existing zinc processing circuit without the need for new mining.
Germanium is a crucial material for semiconductors, optical fibers, and many military technologies. U.S. manufacturers rely on imported germanium. According to a report released by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2025, 51% of U.S. germanium came from China between 2020 and 2023. The report also noted that China is the world’s leading producer of germanium.
“There are still many tests to be done,” Rheault said. “Geologists are the most optimistic people.”
McDougall mentioned that this optimism is spreading.
“Faced with something like this, we are all very optimistic. I am too,” he said.
“The exciting part is that behind the supply chain is a larger picture, with bigger opportunities and greater potential for the future. We are full of hope,” Kelly said.