Recently, Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) and Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) introduced the “National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2017” in the Senate and House, respectively. In doing so, they highlighted the important role that minerals play in our national security.
“Duplicative regulations, bureaucratic inefficiency and lack of coordination between federal agencies unnecessarily threaten our economy and jeopardize our national security – especially when it comes to mining strategic and critical minerals in America,” said Rep. Amodei.
If passed, this legislation will address the deficiencies in our outdated and underperforming permitting system, and improve the nation’s access to its abundant mineral wealth.
The Department of Defense uses nearly 750,000 tons of minerals each year. Minerals—including copper, lead, silver, zinc and molybdenum —are used in life-saving military gear and defense technologies deployed both here and abroad. And beryllium is an integral component of surveillance technologies used in weaponry that detects and destroys improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and tactical minefields; military helicopters; armor for military vehicles; and, finally, advanced communication technologies.
Companies like Rio Tinto, Freeport-McMoran, Teck America, and Materion provide these essential minerals and metals to our nation safe and secure.