U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines cosponsored a bill to streamline the permitting process for domestic critical mineral production. Daines’ bill will help create Montana jobs, boost the economy, protect our national security and ensure the United States is competitive against China.
“If we don’t increase domestic critical mineral production we will continue to be reliant on hostile, foreign nations,” Senator Daines said. “This bill ensures we don’t take a backseat to China and other countries who have terrible environmental standards and atrocious human rights violations. We can produce these minerals here in the U.S. and grow jobs, protect the environment and bolster our rural communities.”
This bill improves the efficiency and effectiveness of the federal permitting and review process by requiring federal agencies to:
- Establish clear timelines for decisions regarding applications, operating plans, leases, licenses, permits, and other use authorizations for critical mineral-related activities on federal land.
- Create clear, quantifiable permitting performance goals and to track progress toward those goals.
- Engage in early collaboration with agencies, stakeholders, projects sponsors, and to consult with State, local, and Tribal governments to resolve concerns.
- Provide clear and logical ways to make the process more cost-effective and timely.
Background:
Senator Daines has been leading the fight for responsible production of our natural resources.
In March, Senator Daines introduced the bipartisan “American Jobs in Energy Manufacturing Act” that would incentivize American manufacturing facilities to expand to energy producing communities that have suffered from economic turndown.
In 2020, Senator Daines introduced the bipartisan bills, the “EFFECT Act,” “American Mineral Security Act,” “Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act,” and “USE It Act,” to help protect Montana energy jobs and support Montana’s energy industry.