Rep. Moore co-leads bill to protect Utah, American mining

Freshman Congressman Blake Moore addressed a variety of topics Friday night, August 20 at the Richins Building. Photo: Parker Malatesta

The bill is intended to amend the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Blake Moore, who was recently elected to the vice-chair position within the GOP House Conference, co-introduced a bill to block the Biden administration from limiting mining and mineral refining in the U.S.

Rep. Moore co-introduced the bill with Rep. Doug Lamborn (CO) and Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA).

The bill is intended to amend the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which the Biden administration recently proposed a new rule that would limit the scope of minerals that are eligible for coverage and expedited permitting under the FAST Act.

The Congressmen contend that the Biden administration’s amendment will harm America’s ability to quickly and effectively produce minerals like copper, iron, and host minerals from which critical minerals are derived.

“The Biden administration’s proposed rule will prevent the U.S. from meeting our domestic mining production goals and reducing our reliance on China,” said Congressman Moore. “Utah’s mining industry consists almost entirely of materials that are not on the Department of Energy’s critical minerals list, yet it supports over 43,000 jobs and contributes over $5.2 billion to the state’s GDP every year.”

“At a time when legacy mineral demand has never been higher, the federal government needs to leverage every tool to meet our energy manufacturing and infrastructure needs rather than sending the wrong signal to industry. I’m proud to co-sponsor this bill that would overturn President Biden’s rule and ensure Utah mining projects qualify for FAST-41 status.”

The FAST Act was enacted in 2015, and worked to establish coordination and oversight procedures for infrastructure projects being reviewed by federal agencies.

The primary goals of the FAST Act were to enhance early consultation and coordination among government agencies, promote transparency by publishing project-specific timetables with completion dates for all federal authorizations and environmental reviews, and bolster accountability through consultation and reporting on projects.

Mining was added as a sector under the FAST Act in 2021, and new mining projects would work through the 18 criteria to be expedited.

The Congressmen argue that further slowing down the mining permitting process will put U.S. supply chains at risk and provide China with a stronger chokehold on the mining and refining of minerals.

“As Vice Chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, I have consistently pushed back against the Biden administration to protect American energy production,” said Rep. Lamborn. “Our bill will ensure a secure domestic mineral supply chain and push back against China’s chokehold on the production and refinement of minerals.”