Why the U.S. Needs Mine Permitting Reform
May 23, 2023
Nearly two decades ago, the U.S. attracted almost 20 percent of t...
Op-ed: The politics of hard-rock mining
America needs a new political discourse on hard-rock mining. The time is here to take steps to increase production in Colorado and throughout the American West.
Several recent assessments have concluded that meeting America’s growing need for minerals will be impossible without rapid growth in mining. But a high percentage of minerals critical to U.S. manufacturing and the defense industry are already imported.
In 1995, the U.S. was dependent on imports for 100 percent of eight minerals. Today, it’s 18 key mineral resources — 14 of which have been deemed “critical” by the Defense and Interior Departments.