Senators will vote this week on bipartisan bills that could expand mining’s footprint on public lands and open up copper projects to streamlined permitting.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday will mark up four bills, including legislation from Chair Mike Lee, whose home state of Utah hosts one of the nation’s largest open-pit copper mines.
S. 714, the “Critical Mineral Consistency Act,” from Lee and Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, which would amend the Energy Act of 2020 to combine the Department of Energy’s list of critical materials with the U.S. Geological Survey’s own list.
Such a move would result in copper becoming a critical mineral, and open related projects to federal funding and streamlined permitting.
