In February, a clash between the rivals closed the largest mine of Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd.
Since Gunkanjima has been gradually crumbling since the mine closed, visitors are allowed only on specially built walkways.
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After the mine closed, Gunkanjima was off limits until 2009, when a dock and walkways were built for tourists.
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The mine was closed in 2002 amid environmental issues and low rare earth elements prices.
The mine remains closed down as the company says they are continuing to monitor and investigate the situation.
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Today, the mine is closed and America imports all of its rare earths from China, which controls 97 percent of the global market.
No production from the mine is expected this year after the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration ordered the Silver Shaft to be closed for removal of built-up sand and concrete material.
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Even to the point that the largest Chinese mine itself was closed for November of this year in an attempt to maintain prices.
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However, the shop closed in April 1998 when the building began to collapse because of old mine workings.
Molycorp, an American firm which in various guises dates back to the early 1950s, intends to restart what was once the world's largest source of rare earths, a mine in California closed in 2002 over environmental concerns and the then unjustifiable cost of correcting them.
South Crofty mine originally closed in 1998 after the price of tin hit an all-time low.
But the Japanese pulled out of the Taiyo fish cannery at Noro, timber exports were hit by the Asian slump, Ross Mining closed its Gold Ridge mine and Guadalcanal's palm-oil plantations have been abandoned.
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From the 1960s until the 1980s, the Mountain Pass mine in California made the US the world leader in rare earth production, but it was later closed, largely due to competition with the elements imported from China.
However, there was still "a glimmer of hope" about the mine's future as the firm had not said it would be completely closed, said Mr Kitchen.
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