The nation’s critical minerals would land on a new kind of list under legislation approved by the House Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday.
The committee approved by voice vote an amended version of H.R. 755, the “Critical Mineral Consistency Act,” from Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), designed to align the U.S. Geological Survey’s list of critical minerals with a separate list maintained by the Department of Energy.
During the Biden administration, the USGS critical mineral list did not include copper, but DOE’s list did. Last November, the USGS added copper to its roster.
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A critical mineral designation by the USGS makes the industry eligible for benefits including federal grants and streamlined permitting.
