China announced on that it will impose restrictions on the export of antimony, a crucial mineral used in producing military equipment such as munitions, night-vision goggles and bullets. This decision impacts global defense industries and national security, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
In response to the potential supply gap, Perpetua Resources, an American mining company, is striving to develop a major antimony mine in Valley County, Idaho. The mine could significantly reduce U.S. reliance on Chinese antimony. However, the company faces considerable delays due to the complex regulatory landscape, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which governs federal land management and infrastructure projects.
Perpetua Resources began the NEPA permitting process in 2016 and is now eight years into the approval journey. Despite the lengthy process, the company aims to tap into the largest known antimony deposit in the U.S. and produce substantial quantities of gold.
Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Director of The Heritage Foundation’s Center for Energy, Climate, and Environment, acknowledges that while the Perpetua project raises valid environmental concerns, U.S. mining operations are generally cleaner compared to those in China. She emphasizes the national security risks associated with dependency on China for essential defense minerals.
Steve Coonen, a former Department of Defense official, also highlights the dangers of relying on China for critical materials. He argues that while the U.S. possesses significant reserves of rare earth elements, domestic extraction faces substantial political and environmental obstacles that could jeopardize national security and economic stability.
China controls nearly 50% of the world’s antimony production and supplies 63% of U.S. antimony imports, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The U.S. did not produce any marketable antimony in 2023. China’s restrictions on antimony exports, effective September 15, come amid previous limitations on other critical minerals like germanium and gallium.
Perpetua Resources contends that NEPA, though beneficial for transparency and stakeholder input, contributes to extended permitting timelines. The company supports a bipartisan approach to streamline the regulatory process while maintaining environmental protections.
Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) have introduced a permitting-reform bill aimed at simplifying regulatory requirements and expediting project timelines without compromising environmental safeguards. The bill has yet to be voted on in the Senate.
Arnab Datta, Director of Infrastructure Policy at the Institute for Progress, notes that while addressing environmental concerns is crucial, the permitting process often becomes bogged down by minor legal challenges. He argues for a more efficient and predictable regulatory framework to support critical mineral mining and mitigate market volatility influenced by China’s actions.
Quill Robinson, Associate Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, stresses the need for the U.S. to reduce its dependence on China for critical minerals and advocates for policies that support safe and responsible domestic resource extraction.