Just what the USA is doing about securing and evaluating key mineral resources in its own back yard is very much the topic of the day, with more than a few experts criticising the government for dragging its heels in this respect.
The EU is already well on the way with its Raw Materials Initiative (see p.48), but the USA appears stuck in the starting blocks. The issue was thrust into the spotlight at the keynote session “Shaping a strong future through mining worldwide” of the 2011 Society of Mining, Metallurgy, & Exploration’s (SME) Annual Meeting & Exhibit, held in Denver 28 February -2 March.
Permitting delays, the increasing burden of government regulation, and lack of public awareness of the benefits of mining, have discouraged domestic mineral investment in the USA in recent years.
Indeed, a recent survey of mining executives showed that companies spend less than...