resource dependence

Heavily quoting from ARPN’s statement on the issue, The Daily Caller’s Michael Bastasch earlier this month reported on the Department of the Interior’s finalized list of minerals deemed critical for U.S. national security. Writes Bastasch:

“President Donald Trump’s administration’s release of a list of 35 critical minerals highlights just how reliant the U.S. is on foreign imports, according to mining advocates.

‘What we see is the degree of U.S. dependency — the US is 100 percent import-dependent for 14 of the 35 minerals and more than 50 percent dependent for another 16,’ said Daniel McGroarty, a principal at the American Resources Policy Network, which advocates for domestic mining.

‘That’s more than 50 percent dependent for 30 of the 35 minerals on the list — materials that are critical for the national economy, for high-tech, for alternative energy applications, for national security,’ McGroarty added in a statement issued Friday.”

Bastasch further points to the importance of a number of metals and minerals which may have failed to pass the DOI list’s threshold, but for which the United States is also import reliant:

“The Interior Department also noted The U.S. is also reliant on other imported minerals not meeting the threshold to be labeled ‘critical minerals.’ These include copper, zinc, molybdenum, gold and silver.

‘Take copper, which is not listed,’ McGroarty said. ‘It is the gateway to five ‘co-product’ metals that are listed as critical but are not mined in their own right.’

‘And the U.S. has a 600,000 [metric ton] copper gap each year — the gap between what we consume and what we produce,’ McGroarty said.”

Click here to read Bastasch’s piece, and here to read McGroarty’s full statement on the finalized DOI list.

The Department of the Interior released its final list of Critical Minerals today.

The following is ARPN principal Daniel McGroarty’s statement on the list:

“DOI issued its final list of Critical Minerals, unchanged at 35.  What we see is the degree of US dependency – the US is 100% import-dependent for 14 of the 35 minerals, and more than 50% dependent for another 16.  That’s more than 50% dependent for 30 of the 35 minerals on the List – materials that are critical for the national economy, for high-tech, for alternative energy applications, for national security.

And the risk extends even beyond the DOI’s Critical List.  Take copper, which is not listed.  It is the gateway to 5 “co-product” metals that are listed as critical, but are not mined in their own right.  And the U.S. has a 600,000 MT copper gap each year – the gap between what we consume and what we produce.

The Critical Minerals List is a great starting point.  The question now is how the U.S. Government can match policy to the priority of overcoming our Critical Minerals deficit.”

Earlier this month, members of the Congressional Western Caucus sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, and Acting Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Mary Neumayr calling for the inclusion of additional metals and minerals into the draft critical minerals list released by Secretary Zinke [...]

“Why is the United States reliant on China and Russia for strategic minerals when we have more of these valuable resources than both these nations combined?” Stephen Moore, senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation and an economic consultant with Freedom Works, and ARPN expert panel member Ned Mamula, a geoscientist and adjunct scholar at the [...]

Only one day after USGS released its new report “Critical Minerals of the United States” – a study which underscores the United States’ over-reliance on foreign minerals – a new executive order directs Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to publish within 60 days a list of critical minerals to be followed by a report (after another [...]

During yesterday’s oversight hearing on the subject of “Examining Consequences of America’s Growing Dependence on Foreign Minerals,” before the House Natural Resources Committee, panelists raised some of the key issues we have consistently highlighted on our blog. Panelists included: Mr. Ronnie Favors, Administrator, U.S. Defense Logistics Agency, Strategic Materials, U.S. Department of Defense Dr. Murray [...]

On Tuesday of this week, the U.S. House Committee on Mineral Resources will be holding an oversight hearing on “Examining Consequences of America’s Growing Dependence on Foreign Minerals.” Witnesses at the hearing, which will begin at 2pm EST, include: Mr. Ronnie Favors, Administrator, U.S. Defense Logistics Agency, Strategic Materials, U.S. Department of Defense Dr. Murray [...]

In the fairy tale realm, Rumpelstilskin was able to turn straw into gold. Meanwhile, in the real world, as part of our feature series “Materials Science Profiles of Progress,” we’re taking a closer look at a recently-announced research partnership that may not be able to turn straw into gold, but promises to extract precious Rare [...]

We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Ned Mamula, a senior geoscientist with over 30 years of experience in energy and mineral research and resource policy issues, has joined the ARPN Panel of Issue Experts. Currently a scholar with the Center for the Study of Science at the Cato Institute, Mr. Mamula has spearheaded resource [...]

Followers of ARPN are well aware that we have been calling out policy makers and other stakeholders for their inaction when it comes to working towards the development of a coherent, forward-looking and comprehensive mineral resource strategy – and we frequently point to missed opportunities to work towards this goal. While we stand by our [...]