Over the past 50 years, the United States has ignored and even shunned the importance of its mineral wealth like no other country in the industrial world.
Australia, Canada, Sweden, Russia, China and most other industrialized economies value their mineral resources and use them to their defense and economic benefit, and even for geopolitical advantage. Not so the United States. Indeed, our nation “boasts” a growing list of groups that are openly hostile to extractive industries, especially mining.
Yet, the one economic sector that meets the American appetite for raw materials, gadgets, high-tech equipment, cars, jetliners and “renewable” energy technologies that we take for granted — all of which are made from minerals and metals — is mining.
The most recent example of the total disconnect between the anti-mining agenda of some in Congress and the importance of American mineral wealth to our economy and national defense is the proposed Mining Law Reform legislation recently introduced in the Democrat-led House The substance and timing of this proposed bill to “reform” (that is, tax, restrict, over-regulate and ultimately shut down) hardrock mining could not be worse.
On substance, the proposed reform legislation is loaded with painful and unnecessary elements. Two in particular need to be called out.
For the rest of this column: https://thehill.com/opinion/international/444122-mine-us-minerals-dont-undermine-them