On Alaska Mining Day, Peltola Loosens Mining Restrictions

 Peltola-led Mining Regulatory Clarity Act passes U.S. House

WASHINGTON – On May 10, Alaska Mining Day, Representative Mary Sattler Peltola (AK-AL) celebrated  House passage of H.R. 2925, the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV-02) and co-led by Rep. Peltola, passed the U.S. House 216-195 on Wednesday.

“So much of what Americans increasingly rely on for day-to-day life requires rare earth minerals - from our iPhones to our cars. If we don’t mine them here, they will be mined in China,” said Rep. Peltola. “I’d prefer to keep mining jobs in America, with the best labor and environmental regulations in the world. The Mining Regulatory Clarity Act makes America a more reliable place to mine and better safeguards our supply chain.”

“Securing our domestic mineral supply chain is not only critical to our nation’s economic success, but to our national security,” said Rep. Mark Amodei. “Now more than ever, we must ensure we are doing all that we can to increase domestic mineral production and protect the ability to conduct responsible mining activities on federal lands. H.R. 2925 will reinstate much-needed clarity to allow vital mining projects to move forward.”

Background:

Current law, dictated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in May 2022, requires discovery and determination of valid mineral deposits before operations over a specific mining claim can receive approval. Rep. Peltola’s bill deems the added step of mandating operators to prove the existence of a commercially developable deposit on a claim unnecessary. If the court’s decision were to be maintained, hardrock mining projects across mineral-rich states such as Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, Montana, and Idaho among others will be threatened.

Read the full text of the bill here.

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