Daines Works to Open Up Montana Mining Opportunities

Press Release

Congressman Steve Daines today applauded the House passage of the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2013, bipartisan legislation that will allow Montana and other states to more efficiently develop the strategic and critical minerals that are vital to job creation, American economic competitiveness and national security.

The bill, of which Daines is a co-sponsor, streamlines the permitting process for mineral development by coordinating the actions of federal agencies, eliminating duplicative analysis, requiring timely filing of lawsuits and setting the total permitting review process at 30 months.

"Montana is called the Treasure State for a reason," Daines stated."Our state boasts rich reserves of rare minerals that are of critical value to our nation's economic competitiveness and national security. By streamlining the permitting process, Montana's mining industry will be better able to grow, create good-paying jobs and be competitive in the global market."

Tom Hopgood, Executive Director of the Montana Mining Association, also applauded Daines' work on this bill:

"H.R. 761 is intended to bring Montana and our country back to being competitive in the world mineral market," Hopgood stated."It is a big step in the right direction. As our industry combats a permitting process unlike anywhere else in the world and is working under the threat of more unreasonable EPA regulations, the Montana Mining Association is pleased that our Montana Congressman, Steve Daines, is stepping forward to fight for our mining industry and the jobs and families that rely on it."

The United States has strategic and critical mineral resources that are not being developed, due to government red-tape, frivolous lawsuits, and a burdensome permitting process. It currently takes up to a decade to obtain the permits necessary for a mineral production project.

Currently, the United States is nearly 100 percent reliant on foreign countries, such as China, for rare earth elements and other critical and strategic minerals that are vital components to America's manufacturing sector.

The streamlined permitting process under H.R. 761 will lift the burdens of the current process, which for many mineral production projects takes up to a decade to obtain necessary permits, and allow for an the United States' strategic and critical mineral resources to be developed.

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