Electric vehicle batteries
require lots of new mines
for the minerals they need.
Until the last few decades,
U.S. mining was considered
an important industry, where
hardworking men and women
risked their health to extract ores.
Attitudes changed,
and then potential
mineralized areas
were made off limits
to mining.
Shutting off our mineral wealth
forces us to import minerals
from countries that pay little
attention to environmental
safeguards, and worker
safety standards.
To "protect forests",
Montana, for one example,
failed to commission
a reasonably sized
mine for over 30 years.
The defunding, and closing,
of the US Bureau of Mines,
increasing restrictions
on patenting mining claims,
and unnecessarily regulations
on already patented claims,
crippled our nation’s
mining industry.
The US Forest Service acquired
broad environmental mandates,
and hired personnel who oppose
mining -- they have blocked
new exploration and mining permits.
The United States
produces about 40%
of the copper and
other metals that
our industries use.
Scarce and rare metals
are generally found in
smaller deposits
requiring underground
operations of little interest
to U.S. mining companies.
The Chinese control
about 80% of global
tungsten mining.
The U.S. has no active
tungsten mines.
Tungsten is used in
high-speed cutting tools,
wear-resistant super-alloy
coatings, cell phones,
armor-piercing bullets,
metallic skins on
hypersonic weapons,
and many other
important applications.
1)
U.S. federal Land
is administered by
different agencies ,
operating under
conflicting rules,
interpreted by officials
with who have no mining
experience, or interest in
mining projects.
2)
Mining claims require yearly fees,
while waiting for a Permit for Land
Disturbance from government
agencies.
The process can last years
-- there's no time limit
for the government
to grant or deny a permit.
3)
If a mining project is abandoned,
previous rights to the claim
should be forfeited; and
regulations should require
data generated by the mining
project be turned over to the
US Geological Survey and/or
a new Bureau of Mines.
Vital mine and ore body data
are frequently lost, and getting
mining underway again
by a new operator can be
delayed for years.
4)
Federal and state government
agencies prevent the discovery
and development of rare earth,
and other critical minerals,
by limiting access to potential sites.
Establishing a new Bureau
of Mines, staffed by miners
and engineers, would help.
Growing dependence on
foreign sources for most
critical minerals means that
Russia and China will be
important suppliers.
Not exactly our best friends.
Consider the percentage
increase of minerals required
to build batteries for an
all electric vehicle US:
