The following statement was released today by National Mining Association (NMA) President and CEO Hal Quinn applauding the introduction of Senate Energy Committee Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski’s (R-Alaska) bill, the “Mineral Security and Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2015,” to secure the nation’s mineral supply chain and reduce its growing dependence on imported minerals critical for manufacturing industries:
“Sen. Murkowski’s bill, introduced in the Senate today, will modernize the permitting system for U.S. mining to better position our country to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Simply, her bill will better prepare our country to meet the competitive challenges we face in strengthening future economic growth and the U.S. manufacturing revival.
“While few countries can rival our abundance of mineral resources, even fewer have a permitting system as inefficient as the U.S. Our antiquated and duplicative permitting process discourages investment and jeopardizes the growth of downstream industries, related jobs and technological innovation that all depend on a secure and reliable mineral supply chain.
“Our country’s dependence on mineral imports has doubled over the past 20 years. Today, less than half of the mineral needs of U.S. manufacturing are met from domestically mined minerals. These trends will only worsen if we do not advance policies that enable U.S. mining to perform to its potential.
“America’s manufacturing CEOs have recognized that using our country’s minerals responsibly and efficiently is a national priority for strengthening our manufacturing base and the jobs it provides. Competing countries are acting boldly to secure use of these minerals. It is time our government acted accordingly.
“Without compromising our rigorous environmental standards, this legislation helps reduce the inefficiencies of our underperforming permitting system by incorporating best practices for improving coordination among state and federal agencies and clarifying responsibilities – all necessary to bring accountability to the process. NMA urges support for American minerals and Sen. Murkowski’s far-sighted legislation.”