Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 491 - Critical Minerals Mining

(House)
(Rahall (D) WV and Craig (R) ID)

The Administration opposes enactment of H.R. 491. The bill's new three-year $30 million mandatory research program would duplicate unnecessarily ongoing programs without providing any additional benefit.

The Department of the Interior is currently conducting research on mining and mineral processing technology related to critical minerals, including research on recycling and mineral substitution. The Department has requested nearly $15 million for FY 1990 for this research. The Department is also analyzing U.S. dependency on critical materials from South Africa, pursuant to Section 504(b) of the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act.