The U.S. Geological Survey is looking for public comment on a draft list detailing 50 minerals considered critical to national security and the economy.
The new list follows a 2017 executive order that noted that although some of the listed minerals are found throughout the United States, topography and other challenges make it difficult to mine them. This causes causes the U.S. to become dependent on foreign sources of these minerals, which "creates a strategic vulnerability", according to a presidential document from the Federal Register.
“The USGS’s critical minerals list provides vital information for industry, policymakers, economists and scientists on the most important minerals when it comes to U.S. supply chains,” said Tanya Trujillo, assistant secretary of the interior for water and science, according to a news release from USGS. “The statistics and information are crucial to understanding America’s vulnerability to disruptions in the supply of critical minerals, including data on the worldwide supply and demand for minerals and materials essential to the U.S. economy and national security.”
Under the Energy Act of 2020, a “critical mineral” consists of non-fuel minerals or any mineral material that is considered essential to the economy or national security of the United States, in addition to the country's supply chain, which is vulnerable to disruption, according to the release. Critical minerals are also considered vital as they serve as an essential function within the manufacturing of a product, without which would have significant consequences for the economic or national security.
The list containing more than 50 different minerals can be found in a document available to the public, where citizens are invited to submit comments on the draft list until Dec. 9.
Submissions began Nov. 9, and can be done in two different ways. There is online at www.regulations.gov by entering “DOI-2021-24488” in the search bar and clicking “Search” or by mail to Draft List of Critical Minerals, MS-102, U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA, 20192.
