Arr, the Biden crew be aimin' to keep hold o' precious minerals while praisin' their fancy green energy agenda!
2023-09-12
Arrr, me mateys! The Biden crew be publishin' their final scroll detailin' their grand plans to modernize the laws o' minin'! They be raisin' the booty for them scurvy dogs o' companies tryin' to plunder the precious resources! Aye, ye better brace yerself, ye greedy bilge rats!
The Biden administration has released a final report outlining recommendations to modernize mining regulations, but critics argue that these recommendations would create more burdensome red tape. The Interagency Working Group on Mining Laws, Regulations, and Permitting (IWG) published the report, which includes 65 recommendations to update the General Mining Act of 1872. Environmentalists have long called for updates to mining laws to ensure stricter protections for wildlife, plants, and the environment. IWG Chair and Deputy Interior Secretary Tommy Beaudreau stated that the 150-year-old mining law needs to be reformed and brought into the 21st century. The report's recommendations include implementing a leasing program for critical mineral deposits and requiring companies to pay royalties on the land they mine. It also suggests a controversial 7-cent per ton fee on material displaced by hard rock mining, which has been dubbed a "dirt tax." Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced the creation of the IWG in order to expand sustainable and responsible critical minerals production and processing. However, critics argue that the recommendations in the report do not advance the goal of securing the nation's domestic mineral supply chains and will instead increase reliance on imports. They believe that the proposals will slow down the permitting process and hinder responsible domestic mining projects. Despite the criticism, the report has been praised by some, such as Raul Grijalva, who plans to implement the reforms outlined in the report through legislation. Critical minerals are crucial for green energy technologies, but China and other hostile nations currently dominate the global mineral supply chain. The U.S. and Western nations have been pushing for a transition to green energy, but they mine a very small percentage of global mineral supplies. Additionally, the Biden administration has taken steps to slow mineral production, such as implementing mining bans and establishing national monuments.