Permitting delays for Idaho mine leave U.S. vulnerable to China

The Washington Free Beacon reported recently on China’s expanded export ban of the critical minerals antimony, gallium, and germanium — all necessary for military and energy applications — and a domestic mine in Idaho offering hope that the U.S. can secure a reliable supply of antimony. However, the years-long, or even decades-long, permitting process is bogging down the proposed mine.

Perpetua Resources’ Stibnite Gold Project holds one of the U.S.’ largest known deposits of antimony, which is useful for flame retardants, ammunition, night vision goggles, infrared sensors, and other military applications. The project has been in the permitting process since 2010. The Free Beacon describes the developer’s challenges:

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…

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…

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…

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…

Minnesota representative Pete Stauber offered some comments to The Free Beacon:

“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.

The ban is an expansion of the restrictions Debra Struhsacker and I described in our October 2024 report, “Mission Impossible: Mineral Shortages and the Broken Permitting Process Put Net Zero Goals Out of Reach.” China does not hesitate to impose export restrictions on critical minerals, and have done so for graphite and rare earths, germanium and gallium in July 2023, and antimony in August 2024.

In December, China fully banned exports of gallium, germanium, and antimony to the U.S. and strengthened restrictions on graphite. The U.S. is dependent on imports from China for 54 percent of its gallium and germanium consumption, and 63 percent of its antimony (with 100 percent of all of the U.S.’ antimony being imports).

Without domestic mining, China will continue to wield its strength in mining and processing to punish the U.S. and endanger its economic prosperity and national security.