Bill to speed up mining permitting process would be a boon to Nevada

(Thomas Mitchell) – Rep. Mark Amodei, who represents the northern half of rural Nevada, recently introduced a bill in Congress intended to force the federal land agencies to get into gear, setting the total review process for issuing mining permits at 30 months tops.

Currently, according to The Wall Street Journal, permitting a mine on federal land takes seven to 10 years or longer — the longest permitting period of any nation on earth.

Amodei’s H.R. 1937, the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Act of 2015, already has 29 sponsors. The Nevada congressman said his legislation is intended to reduce American dependence on foreign minerals, many of which are vital to industry and the military, but currently are being imported from countries such as China.

“It’s not hyperbole to say our national defense and way of life depend on mineral production,” said Amodei in a press release heralding the bill. “From military technology, such as aircraft and missiles used by service men and women to defend our country, to the cars, smartphones and televisions we use every day, they all contain strategic and critical minerals such as rare earth elements, gold and silver, to name a few.”

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Mr. Mitchell publishes the 4TH ST8 Blog at www.4thst8.wordpress.com.