Companies looking to mine in the U.S. spent more than $8 million on lobbying over the past two years and now some stand to benefit from a growing surge of mineral deals, regulatory rollbacks and greater access to public lands, according to a new watchdog report.
Thirteen companies — including some based in Australia and Chile — spent those millions while angling to dig up critical minerals and coal on federal land, from Minnesota to Alaska, the nonprofit consumer advocacy group Public Citizen stated in a new report.
The Biden administration had set up a cautious approach to mining and advanced some projects but was also wary of allowing activity in certain pristine areas. The Trump administration in recent months has begun to reverse Biden-era decisions and public lands protections, with the added, unusual step of taking direct financial stakes in the companies.
This sets up a conflict of interest, said Alan Zibel, a researcher with Public Citizen who wrote the report.
