Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has added metallurgical coal, copper and uranium to a list of minerals deemed critical for the nation’s economy and security, opening up new projects to billions of dollars of federal incentives and faster permitting under the Trump administration.
Burgum, acting through the director of the U.S. Geological Survey amid the ongoing shutdown, signed off on a final list of critical minerals that was published in the Federal Register on Thursday, a document that the agency said is “dynamic” and will be updated more often to guide federal decisions. USGS has traditionally updated the list every three years under the Energy Act of 2020.
Burgum in a statement said President Donald Trump in 2017 set a goal of first identifying and then securing the mineral resources needed to bolster America’s economy and national security. “The 2025 List of Critical Minerals provides a clear, data-driven road map to reduce our dependence on foreign adversaries, expand domestic production and unleash American innovation,” Burgum said.
USGS Director Ned Mamula added that the list is “the most comprehensive, science-based assessment yet of the minerals our nation relies on.”
