<\/a><\/div>\nDespite this clear reality and abundant domestic reserves, instead of increasing support for domestic mining, we are hearing more about US deals to source minerals overseas than we are about mining projects being approved here at home.<\/p>\n
America\u2019s growing domestic mineral needs have led us to the highest mineral reliance in our country\u2019s history, yet the Administration seems to be doubling down on this glaring and growing vulnerability and placing obstacles in the way of a domestic supply chain instead of removing them.<\/p>\n
Very few mines are getting approved here in the US. The Administration\u2019s decisions continue to make it more and more difficult to mine in the US. Recent examples include the Department of the Interior\u2019s withdrawal of hundreds of thousands of acres of mineral-rich lands in Minnesota from potential mining.<\/p>\n
And the Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s pre-emptive veto of a mining project in Alaska, which also more broadly blocks any future development across a broader area vastly exceeding the size of the proposed mine.<\/p>\n
Instead, we are sending jobs overseas. The Administration has focused only on mineral agreements with Canada, the EU, the UK, and Japan. In one instance, pursuing an agreement with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, and Indonesia to counter China\u2019s control of EV battery mineral supply chains.<\/p>\n
These decisions provide short-term solutions for an immediate material demand surge, but ignore long-term, systemic domestic supply chain problems that could be solved right here at home.<\/p>\n
What would you outline as the major challenges that still need to be addressed to enable the supply chain to flourish? How can this be done?<\/h3>\n Permitting mines here at home is the number one challenge. We believe policymakers should recognise that the success of the energy transition and pivot to electric vehicles will be defined by the strength, scale, and speed of US domestic mining operations.<\/p>\n
To meet the massive anticipated increase in mineral demands, we need an all-of-the-above mineral strategy that starts with domestic mining.<\/p>\n
What are your predictions and hopes for the future of US critical minerals supply?<\/h3>\n Given the bipartisan support that exists for permitting reform, Congress should take targeted action to streamline the permitting process that includes: setting timelines on legal action and challenges; setting limits on Executive Land Withdrawals; setting timelines on steps in the federal permitting process; and implementing permitting process reforms contained in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.<\/p>\n
Please note, this article will also appear in the fifteenth\u00a0edition of our\u00a0quarterly publication<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The National Mining Association explores if the US supply chain for critical minerals is sufficient to meet the rapidly increasing demand.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":35035,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24502],"tags":[24206,24555,24308,24510],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Establishing a stable US supply chain for critical minerals<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n