Workers at Idaho mine (Perpetua Resources), Xi Jinping (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
The Chinese government in recent weeks expanded its ban on exports of a handful of minerals found in critical military and energy technologies in America. The move puts a spotlight on America's domestic mineral supplies, many of which are locked in years-long federal permitting and regulatory reviews.
One such case is a project located at an abandoned gold mine in the heart of Idaho. That mine contains some of the nation's largest known deposits of the rare mineral antimony, which is among those affected by China's export restrictions. But after a staggering 14 years, the federal government has yet to give the Idaho project a green light to begin production.
(Perpetua Resources)Perpetua Resources, the developer of the Stibnite gold mine in Valley County, Idaho, first initiated study, engineering, and community engagement on the project in 2010. Since then, it has faced mountains of permit filings and lengthy environmental reviews conducted by at least five separate federal agencies.
Experts and legislators say the federal regulatory and permitting behemoth with which developers like Perpetua must contend is both costly and detrimental to American national security. And they have pointed to the project as an example of why they say Congress must take up permitting reform legislation as soon as possible.
"China has weaponized the world's mineral supply chains," Rich Nolan, the president and CEO of the National Mining Association, told the Washington Free Beacon. "Again and again, Beijing has reached for the minerals lever to exert geopolitical leverage."
"We must confront Chinese mineral extortion and recognize that U.S. mining policy is the foundation of our nation's economic, energy, and national security," Nolan continued. "We can and should be producing gallium, geranium, and antimony right here at home. Our challenge is not geology—the U.S possesses vast mineral resources—but the lack of comprehensive, urgent policy to turn those resources into the secure supply chains we so desperately need."
Antimony, like the other minerals targeted by China, has significant defense and energy applications—it is a key component of munitions, night-vision goggles, and military uniforms and is required for both utility-scale and electric vehicle batteries.
The United States, though, imports 100 percent of its antimony supplies, 63 percent of which comes from China. China supplies the international market with about half of its antimony.
According to Perpetua, the Stibnite mine—which contains roughly 67,000 metric tons of antimony—could account for 35 percent of the nation's antimony demand in its first six years of production and fulfill long-term defense needs.
"China is putting an exclamation point on its control over our essential needs by weaponizing access to defense and technology minerals," Perpetua president and CEO Jon Cherry said in a statement. "It's time to get serious about American mineral sources and end our reliance on China."
Perpetua spokeswoman Marty Boughton told the Free Beacon in an interview that the company is expecting a favorable record of decision from the U.S. Forest Service before the end of the year. That would put it on track to begin production in 2028—18 years after its initial work at the site.
"Waiting 18 years isn't a good model," said Boughton. "We are not at all in favor of relaxing environmental standards, but there are ways to make this an efficient process. I don't think you can really overstate the importance of strong coordination and communication between permitting agencies."
"Often, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing in this vast federal bureaucracy and interagency process," she continued. "Strong communication, collaboration, actually working in tandem to advance something is really important to shorten these timelines, which often get delayed and delayed and delayed."
(Perpetua Resources)The Forest Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Army Corps of Engineers have all had a say in the Stibnite project's permitting over the last decade. The involvement of so many different agencies, advocates argue, can lead to needless delays.
In addition, the mining industry faces opposition from Democratic leaders and activists who argue resource development can harm the environment, nearby water sources, and wildlife. The Biden administration, for example, has blocked several mining projects across the country and introduced regulations creating hurdles for future development.
Overall, in 2023, the United States mined just 5 percent of global copper supplies, 6.3 percent of global zinc supplies, 0.4 percent of global nickel supplies, 0.2 percent of global cobalt supplies, and 0 percent of global graphite supplies, federal data showed. All of those minerals are vital for advanced and energy technologies.
"Unfortunately, our current permitting process is onerous and has been weaponized by keep-it-in-the-ground activists who oppose mining on solely ideological grounds," Rep. Pete Stauber (R., Minn.), the chairman of the House Natural Resource Committee's energy and mineral subcommittee, told the Free Beacon.
"This risks our economic and national security, which was further proven when China enacted an export ban of several rare earth minerals, including antimony," Stauber said. "If we don't control our critical mineral future, China will continue to have a stranglehold on the global supply of most of these materials, which is why I will be leading the charge on this issue next Congress."
The Minnesota Republican noted that he and Sen. Dan Sullivan (R., Alaska) successfully inserted language in the fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act that would require the Pentagon to consult with federal land managers and other agencies on environmental reviews when a project is important for the military's access to supplies of critical minerals.
If that language had been in place before, according to Stauber, the Stibnite mine would likely have been already permitted.
"The time has come where the government needs to finally deliver a permitting system that makes sense, is not duplicative, and creates certainty, while also protecting our land, water, and air," he continued.
"Permitting reform will get important projects like those in northern Minnesota online," Stauber said, "but will help other important projects, just like the Stibnite Gold project in Idaho, which was unnecessarily held up due to bureaucratic hurdles within the Forest Service."
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