The following statement was released today by National Mining Association President and CEO Hal Quinn upon introduction of the “National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2012” (H.R.4402) by Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.):
“Legislation introduced today by Rep. Mark Amodei and his colleagues is vital to meeting the nation’s infrastructure, security and manufacturing needs. The bill lays out a framework for a smarter, more efficient and accountable permitting process for domestic minerals exploration and production—the first steps in the supply chain.
“Without changing environmental and other protections provided by current laws and regulations, the bill will bring the U.S. in line with our competitors for minerals exploration investments—countries such as Australia and Canada that have already modernized their permitting regime. While we operate in a global economy, the U.S. continues to lose employment and economic growth opportunities due to insufficient domestic minerals production. The length, complexity and uncertainty of our permitting process are consistently cited as the primary reasons investors put their dollars elsewhere.
“In a world in which the competition for mineral resources is increasingly fierce, America can no longer afford to benignly neglect a permitting process that stalls investment—threatening raw material shortages and downstream economic activity. We need assertive measures to reverse a 30-year trend of increasing import reliance for materials we have here at home and lend a much-needed hand to the industries that will put Americans back to work.”