Senate infrastructure bill includes mining priorities
After much anticipation and ne- gotiation, the U.S. Senate is consid- ering its 2,702-page, $1.2 trillion In- frastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Overall highlights of the legisla- tion for the mining industry include: AML: A 20% reduction in fees coal mining companies pay through the reauthorization of the coal abandoned mine land (AML) program through 2034 including: $11.3 billion for lega- cy abandoned coal mine reclamation; a $3 billion authorization for legacy hardrock mine reclamation. New Mine Permitting Reforms: Proposed permitting reforms in- clude: codifying One Federal De -
cision setting a two-year clock to complete project Environmental Impact Statements; reauthorizing the Federal Improvement Steering Council; and requiring new evalua- tion and report to Congress on per- mitting improvements at the De- partment of Interior. Minerals and Critical Minerals Production and Processing: Pro- duction and processing language includes: a new Department of En- ergy (DOE) $100 million grant pro- gram for the production, processing and recycling of critical minerals with 1/3 of the program reserved for secondary recovery projects; a new
DOE Loan Program Office eligibility for production, processing, and re- cycling of critical minerals (Title 17 eligibility). Carbon Utilization and Control: Highlights in the legislation include $7.5 billion for carbon capture activ- ities within the DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. The bill also includes $2.1 billion for a carbon capture-related infra- structure financing program. It is unclear when the legislation may be finally wrapped up.
— Courtesy National Mining
Association
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The Alaska Miner
Summer 2021
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