A Group Is Working To Establish A Technology Lab At The Virginia Highlands Small Business Incubator In Abingdon Virginia. The Evolve Central Appalachia Project Or E-Capp, Is Aimed At Efforts On Recycling Southwest Virginia’s Coal Waste To Extract Minerals And Metals For High-Tech Products. The Team Includes Officials From Virginia Tech, The State Department Of Energy, And Mining Companies. Over 50 Metals And Minerals, Which We Rely On From Imports, Have Been Identified As Critical Materials. The Goal Is To Find Ways To Extract Some Of These Through Recycling Coal Waste.