AlwaysOptimistic
9 시간 전
Exclusive-Trump seeks minerals refining on Pentagon bases to boost US output, sources say
https://www.aol.com/news/exclusive-trump-seeks-minerals-refining-234046434.html
(Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump aims to build metals refining facilities on Pentagon military bases as part of his plan to boost domestic production of critical minerals and offset China's control of the sector, two senior administration officials told Reuters.
The move is one of several planned for an executive order Trump could sign as soon as Wednesday after he told the U.S. Congress last week he would "take historic action to dramatically expand production of critical minerals and rare earths here in the USA."
As part of the order, the Pentagon would work with other federal agencies to install processing facilities on its bases, according to the sources, who were not authorized to publicly discuss the administration's deliberations.
Using military bases for processing would underscore the importance Trump is placing on critical minerals for national security. Fighter jets, submarines, bullets and other weaponry used by the U.S. military are built with minerals processed by Beijing.
Trump also plans to name a critical minerals czar, similar to steps previous presidents have taken to coordinate Washington's focus on other areas, according to one of the sources. The plans are under discussion and could change before Trump signs the order, the sources added.
Some Trump administration officials were spooked by initial signs that China might restrict critical minerals exports as part of its retaliation for Trump's tariffs or for other reasons, according to a person familiar with their thinking.
The U.S. National Security Council did not respond to requests for comment.
With the Pentagon controlling about 30 million acres of land, the plan would ensure there is available land for the refining facilities, avoiding the controversy that sometimes occurs in host local communities. It would also avoid the need to buy land and avoid using land controlled by other federal departments.
A plan that prioritizes metals processing - rather than an overhaul of U.S. mine permitting - could irk U.S. miners but address a longstanding concern from manufacturers that China controls too much of the global metals processing sector.
China is a top global producer of 30 of the 50 minerals considered critical by the U.S. Geological Survey, for example.
It's not clear how Trump's plan for processing facilities on Pentagon bases could work from a regulatory perspective, as the U.S. Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act would still apply to Pentagon bases and those regulations have hindered private development of processing projects in the past.
Trump previously signaled a willingness for alternative uses of lands controlled by Washington. As a presidential candidate, he pledged to open up portions of federal land for large-scale housing construction, with zones that would be "ultra-low tax and ultra-low regulation."
Trump does not plan in the order to establish a U.S. critical minerals stockpile that would mimic the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the sources said, a step that some in the administration and mining industry had sought. China stockpiles some critical minerals, including cobalt, and the U.S. government last year considered stockpiling the metal, which is used in missiles, aerospace parts, magnets for communication, and radar and guidance systems.
Trump also does not plan to order the Pentagon or other U.S. agencies to require vendors to use only U.S. minerals, what is known as a "Buy American" mandate, and one that junior miners especially have said is needed to offset China's market manipulations.
Nor would the order try to alter the federal mine permitting process, which was set by the 1970 National Environmental Policy Act, largely because such a move would require an act of Congress.
However, it would aim to expand the FAST-41 permitting process for mines, building on a step Trump took in his first term, according to the sources.
South32's Hermosa zinc-manganese project in Arizona was fast-tracked by former President Joe Biden, the first mine to receive that treatment.
The order would also seek to reclassify mine waste on federal land, mimicking a step that Rio Tinto, Freeport-McMoRan and others have taken to tap piles of old waste rock at U.S. mines previously thought to be worthless.
Such a reclassification could help produce copper and other minerals cheaper and faster than building new mines.
It was not immediately clear if Trump plans to declare copper as a strategic mineral, which would allow U.S. miners of the widely used metal tap into a 10% production tax credit. Phoenix-based Freeport, the largest U.S. copper miner, told Reuters on Monday it hopes Trump takes that step, which would save it $500 million annually.
AlwaysOptimistic
2 일 전
Specific to the development of domestic REE's, the appointment of Wischer. a mining consultant to the Interior Dept. says it all, however, that was just 3 days ago on Thursday and Trump's only been in office for 6 weeks. I would hazard to guess they are working on the details of what POTUS mentioned re developing domestic critical minerals in his speech. Hopefully, we hear something soon.
Trump: “Later this week, I will also take historic action to dramatically expand production of critical minerals and rare earths here in the USA,” Trump told lawmakers during a joint session of Congress.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/in-state-of-the-union-speech-trump-touts-fossil-fuels-and-critical-minerals/
PutzMueler
2 일 전
This Canadian will know when it becomes, historic-action.
Either through Media sources, via the horses mouth, or Official Documentation.
I’m surprised there is nothing in the proclamation documentation about what he stated last week.
Wasn’t that a proclamation?
https://www.federalregister.gov/presidential-documents
Benefit of doubt.. .
I am going to pretend he said what I thought he said when I was originally watching his address to congress, live on TV, when he stated what he did about CM-REE historical action.
I originally thought he said later next week.
So I will pretend I have never heard the real quote, and just play dumb.
AlwaysOptimistic
3 일 전
If/when a general mandate to allocate Federal funds for mining start ups and production is announced, I have a good feeling that EXIM or other Govt programs will help fund addtl test drills and the FS so EXIM can approve funding. If they fast track, maybe they don't need addtl test drills. Don't know. The last Admin talked a good game but moved way too slow and did not appear to priortize mining projects per se. This Admin plows through problems with lightning speed and gets that the time for talk/studies/discussions is over. This Govt knows the US has no choice but to develop its own critical minerals to avert supply line interruption. It's show time. Can't believe it's taken 12 years waiting but mines are expensive to develop and funding is a difficult path. Glad to know this Admin is willing to step up to the plate. Private sector funding should follow I would think.
Curious to know which contractor your referring to? Olson, Zachary, Cementation?
If a contractor is bogged down, like you said, this definitely should be flushed out up front. We've had enough delays and don't need any more.
AlwaysOptimistic
3 일 전
I am encouraged that a mining consultant has been named to the Interior Dept. Big shift in policy.
Critical minerals consultant named to Interior energy post
https://www.eenews.net/articles/critical-minerals-consultant-named-to-interior-energy-post/
Gregory Wischer, a consultant in the critical minerals space, has been tapped to serve as the Interior Department’s deputy assistant secretary for land and minerals management, according to three people familiar with the decision and internal documents viewed by POLITICO’s E&E News.
It’s a critical post within Interior that will be instrumental in advancing President Donald Trump’s energy and public land policies even as Interior Secretary Doug Burgum — who also serves as chair of the president’s National Energy Dominance Council — builds out the rest of his team.
The pick of Wischer for the role highlights the administration’s focus on shoring up the critical mineral supply chains that China dominates.
Re Post from 3/6/25
Trump White House readies order to boost rare earths, minerals
https://www.eenews.net/articles/trump-white-house-readies-order-to-boost-rare-earths-minerals/
Top White House officials are crafting policy to take on China and bolster the United States’ position over rare earths and critical minerals — a move meant to fulfill President Donald Trump’s vow Tuesday evening to take “historic action.”
“Later this week, I will also take historic action to dramatically expand production of critical minerals and rare earths here in the USA,” Trump told lawmakers during a joint session of Congress.
The administration is preparing an executive order to accelerate the nation’s production and processing of raw materials, including rare earths, according to a person working in the mining industry who is consulting with the White House on the forthcoming policy. The person said the order is “processing centric” but that it will also encompass extraction and manufacturing of raw materials, both up and downstream.
The_Gman
3 일 전
Critical minerals consultant named to Interior energy post
Gregory Wischer has joined the agency in a leadership role that will help drive President Donald Trump’s mining agenda.
By: Heather Richards , Hannah Northey
03/07/2025 04:06 PM EST
The Department of the Interior headquarters in Washington.
https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eenews/2025/03/07/critical-minerals-consultant-named-to-interior-energy-post-00218323
E&E NEWS PM | Gregory Wischer, a consultant in the critical minerals space, has been tapped to serve as the Interior Department’s deputy assistant secretary for land and minerals management, according to three people familiar with the decision and internal documents viewed by POLITICO’s E&E News.
It’s a critical post within Interior that will be instrumental in advancing President Donald Trump’s energy and public land policies even as Interior Secretary Doug Burgum — who also serves as chair of the president's National Energy Dominance Council — builds out the rest of his team.
Wischer wrote this article that I posted last year:
https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2024/02/the-us-military-and-nato-face-serious-risks-of-mineral-shortages?lang=en
The U.S. Military and NATO Face Serious Risks of Mineral Shortages
NATO militaries could face shortages of critical minerals, especially if U.S.-China tensions escalate. Stockpiling could prepare NATO for a crisis.
by Gregory Wischer
Published on February 12, 2024
Compared with the strong mineral position of the United States and its partners in great power competition before and during World War II, the U.S. military and NATO are in a far weaker position today.
The United States today relies on a greater share of mineral imports to meet domestic consumption, indicating a relative decline in U.S. mineral production compared with consumption. For some minerals, U.S. production has even stopped completely. The U.S. supply of niobium, which is used in steel and superalloys, “has been a concern during every national military emergency since World War I,” according to the U.S. Geological Survey, but the element has not been mined in the United States since 1959.
The United States and other NATO countries should also expand their efforts to increase domestic mining and recycling of minerals. The U.S. government has accelerated its critical mineral efforts through the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy, and it should continue its efforts with financial support for building new domestic mines, smelters, and refineries as well as expanding existing facilities and restarting idled ones. Mineral projects require significant upfront capital to build, take years to generate cash flow, and face environmental, social, and governance risks—all of which dissuade companies from investing millions, and potentially billions, in such projects.
Consequently, the U.S. and allied governments could fill a private sector gap by providing capital to these projects. The U.S. mineral industry also faces regulatory challenges and limited technical expertise, which could be partly addressed by statutory classification to prioritize critical minerals development on federal lands and increased funding for existing and new university programs in mining and mineral processing.
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