Rare　earth　elements　(REEs)　have　been　applied　in　various　economic　fields　e.g.,　metallurgy,　automotive,　electronics,　aerospace　and　agriculture.　China　is　the　largest　producer　and　exporter　of　rare　earth　in　the　world.　Bastnaesite　is　an　important　category　of　light　rare　earth　minerals.　Light　rare　earth　chlorides　typically　consist　of　lanthanum　chloride,　cerium　chloride,　praseodymium　chloride　and　neodymium　chloride.　As　the　public　concern　on　the　issues　of　emission　reduction　and　energy　saving　during　the　past　decades,　it　is　valuable　to　evaluate　and　analyze　the　comprehensive　environmental　impact　caused　by　the　rare　earth　industry.　A　standard　LCA　study　on　light　rare　earth　chlorides　was　conducted　in　this　paper.　Allocation　was　carried　out　based　on　the　actual　situation　of　the　technology　currently　employed　in　rare　earth　industry　in　China,　and　the　function　unit　was　defined　as　1　kg　of　individual　light　rare　earth　chloride.　The　major　part　of　the　life　cycle　inventory　(LCI)　was　compiled　via　an　investigation　on　a　rare　earth　enterprise　in　Sichuan　province,　located　in　southwest　China,　and　the　absent　information　were　obtained　through　interviews　with　experts　and　published　literature.　The　results　indicated　that　the　environmental　impact　of　praseodymium　chloride　production　was　much　severer　than　those　of　the　production　of　lanthanum　chloride,　cerium　chloride　and　neodymium　chloride.　The　dominant　environmental　impact　categories　were　fossil　depletion　potential　(FDP),　particulate　matter　formation　potential　(PMFP)　and　global　warming　potential　(GWP).　The　environmental　impacts　were　mainly　caused　by　energy　use.　PMFP　was　mostly　generated　from　the　indirect　production　processes.　Ammonia,　sodium　silicate　and　hydrochloric　acid　were　the　cardinal　contributors　to　the　aspect　of　materials　consumption.