Geoscience Policy Monthly Review
june 2015

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natural resources

House bill would fund research into raw materials that fuel energy innovation

June 8, 2015

Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA) introduced The Securing Energy Critical Elements and American Jobs Act of 2015 (H.R. 2687) on June 8 to support research on Energy Critical Elements (ECEs). The ECEs are a broad group of elements, including lithium, germanium, cobalt, and a dozen rare earth elements, that are increasingly important components of energy technologies such as thin-film solar cells, high-strength magnets for wind turbines and electric cars, and fluorescent lighting. However, limited supplies of ECEs and volatile global markets inhibit the financial viability of many of these emerging technologies.

The bill would authorize $25 million per year through 2020 for ECE research and would authorize the creation of a Critical Materials Energy Innovation Hub within the Department of Energy. Research would focus on extracting, processing, and recycling ores, improving the engineered systems that use ECEs, and developing alternative materials for these systems.

Most ECEs are not naturally concentrated within the earth’s crust, which makes them difficult and costly to mine. Many must therefore be refined as byproducts of more abundant ores. The U.S. imports the bulk of its ECEs from China, which is currently the world’s top producer by a wide margin.

As of June 8, the bill had been referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

Sources: American Physical Society, E&E News

House Natural Resources subcommittee holds hearing on National Critical Minerals bill

June 25, 2015

The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Minerals heard testimony mostly in favor of H.R. 1937, the National Critical Minerals Act (NCMA), on June 25. During the hearing, the bill’s sponsor, Representative Mark Amodei (R-NV), cited the need to speed up the permitting approval process for mining in order for America to remain economically competitive. Mark Fellows of SNL Financial and Luke Russell of Hecla Mining Company, both testifying as mining industry representatives, echoed Amodei's statements. Jeffery Green, a national security expert, testified that the United States should further develop domestic mines to remain independent of negative geopolitical influence.

According to the testimony, new mining permits take 20 years on average to be approved by state and federal governments and this makes planning difficult for mining companies. The NCMA would standardize the amount of time for the permitting process, directing agencies to conduct environmental impact assessments in parallel instead of sequentially. Russell noted that Canada and Australia have similar environmental standards and are able to approve mine permits in 3 years.

This fast tracking of mine permits would apply to critical minerals as defined by the new legislation, which differs from the Department of Energy and USGS definitions. Under the broader new definition, any hard rock that is mined could be classified as critical and thus eligible for regulatory fast tracking. Sam Kalen, a law professor at the University of Wyoming, and Representative Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) expressed concern about the redefinition because they viewed it as circumventing preexisting regulation, thus creating potential environmental risk.

Source: Committee on Natural Resources

Updated : July 6, 2015