This post was originally published on GreenMet
Washington, D.C. – GreenMet was happy to contribute to the public comment process alongside Ford, Rivian Automotive Inc, the National Mining Association (NMA), & others that gathered feedback to reform the General Mining Law of 1872. We recommend that the federal government facilitates more efficient approval processes without weakening our world-class environmental and safety standards in order to boost domestic production of electric vehicle minerals.
The Interagency Working Group on Mining Reform has been studying ways to change the law, which governs hardrock mining on U.S. government land, since February. Public comments were due the 1st of September. Any changes to the law would need to be approved by the full U.S. Congress and President Joe Biden.
To secure a fully domestic supply chain of critical minerals, federal hardrock mining regulations must signal to industry & private capital that the U.S. is “open for business.” An interagency group can clear hurdles that stifle innovations into sustainable mining practices. Mineral supply chains operate from mine to metallurgy. Right now, an overwhelming amount of raw material feedstock for these value chains comes from abroad because domestic companies cannot access the vast mineral resources available under their feet.
GreenMet specializes in the upstream and midstream stages of the supply chain. We are a supply chain project finance company that accelerates the development of safe, reliable rare earth mineral supply chains. Based on what we have seen, the U.S. needs new mining legislation that increases the predictability and stability of the mineral market conditions. The risk of cancelled or delayed permits discourages new private sector involvement or investments into mines.