MINING Interior's final 'critical minerals' list starts permitting debate

With the list completed, the executive order now gives Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross 180 days to submit a strategy to reduce that reliance. [...] The list doesn't go far enough, she added, due to Interior's "narrow view of criticality." Among the 453 public comments USGS reviewed were requests to add 13 minerals to the list. [...] NMA noted, however, that Interior acknowledged "any recommendations to improve permitting processes for those critical minerals will improve permitting processes for all minerals." That proves the list is not the point, said Aaron Mintzes of mining watchdog Earthworks. [...] The 'starting point' The final list was identical to the draft version released in February, despite questions raised in public comments. [...] With the list, Interior also acknowledged "many commodities are not mined directly, but are instead recovered during the processing, smelting, or refining of a host material." So-called byproducts constitute 12 of the 35 critical minerals.