More than Two in Three Voters Support Streamlining the Mine Permitting Process to Increase Availability of the Domestic Minerals Required to Support Infrastructure Rebuilding Efforts
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Eighty-six percent of voters are concerned about the state of American infrastructure, according to a new poll conducted by Morning Consult for the National Mining Association (NMA); just three percent of voters are not concerned about the country’s infrastructure.
The poll found that 65 percent of voters favor streamlining the mine permitting process to increase availability of domestic minerals to support infrastructure rebuilding projects.
“Americans are concerned about our infrastructure – with good reason,” said Hal Quinn, NMA president and CEO. “In its annual review, the American Society of Civil Engineers indicated that our infrastructure is near failure. While the administration and Congress have shown a willingness to focus on addressing these dangerous shortfalls in our system, without a readily available supply of the metals and minerals required for repairs and rebuilding, our infrastructure remains at-risk.”
The U.S. received a “D+” from the American Society of Civil Engineers in its 2017 annual infrastructure report card.
The polling comes as the President today signed an executive order “establishing discipline and accountability in the environmental review and permitting process for infrastructure projects,” according to the White House. The administration has previously expressed a desire to “root out inefficiency, clarify lines of authority and streamline federal and state [and] local procedures so that communities can modernize their aging infrastructure without fear of outdated federal rules getting in their way.” Mining is key to these efforts.
Minerals and metals such as molybdenum, copper, iron, zinc and kyanite form the foundation of roads, bridges, railroads, buildings and other elements of the U.S. infrastructure. Unfortunately, failed permitting policies that take from seven to 10 years for a new mine to receive permits keep these materials locked in the ground.
The poll included 1,997 registered voters surveyed between August 10-14, 2017, and includes a margin of error of +/- 2 percent.
Click here to see NMA’s new infographic on infrastructure in the U.S.