Blunt, Manchin Introduce Bill To Encourage Domestic Production Of Rare Earth Minerals

Senator Blunt ^ | 02/07/2014 | Senator Roy Blunt

[Kolath]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) and U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (W. Va.) introduced the “National Rare Earth Cooperative Act of 2014” this week, bipartisan legislation that relieves America’s dependence on China’s rare earth minerals, encourages private sector jobs and innovation, and preserves our the United States’ military technological edge. To read the bill, click this link:

http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/8385bd2e-0063-48eb-85ed-ab19dc713c55/2-7-14%20National%20Rare%20Earth%20Cooperative%20Act%20of%202014.pdf

[Kolath]

I'm assuming they've resolved the "Thorium issue"....

[Mr. K]

Why do they need a ‘bill’ to encourage production of anything?

The problems is a free market problem

REMOVE regulations that make it too costly to mine for these things and it will solve itself

[Former Proud Canadian]

Citizen, you don't understand.

First we regulate and strangle business and industry, some of them vital. Then we try to deregulate, but slowly, while the damage continues.

That is the legislative process.

[Vaquero]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/03/15/an-odd-thought-thorium-reactors-would-make-tantalum-and-rare-earths-cheaper/

[Georgia Girl 2]

“REMOVE regulations that make it too costly to mine for these things and it will solve itself”

But then the govt would not be in control. Can’t have that now can we? :-)

[RedMDer]

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[factoryrat]

Why bother then if you’re going to wring your hands over extracting valuable thorium, along with other REE’s? Either you have a vested interest in buying from the chinese, or you are in bed with the environuts, who are financed by the vested interests who buy from the chinese. The biggest impediment to mining is the EPA, and the EPA is owned, lock, stock, and barrel by large business interests, who also own the best politicians money can buy. It’s not technical, it’s entirely political.

[SuziQ]

The biggest impediment to mining is the EPA, and the EPA is owned, lock, stock, and barrel by large business interests, who also own the best politicians money can buy. It’s not technical, it’s entirely political.

It's Crony Capitalism, pure and simple.

[Vesparado]

Can’t tell from the press release just what “impediments” are standing in the way (although I know environmental issues were the reason the rare earths mine near Las Vegas was shut down) and just what this bill will do to remove/mitigate them. Nor is it clear that the truly important parts of this bill have more to do with money breaks than with “impediments”.

[Joe Boucher]

Nothing to see here West Virginia.
Joe (up obammy’s rear) Manchin is playing three card monty boys.
trying to trick your sorry stupid asses again.

[Organic Panic]

Don’t dig that hole. On that spot, and that spot only, lives the yellow leaf grouse shrub.

I have been directly effected by the US lack of political will to mine out own land. I use to have an entire production line that depended on affordable tungsten. China now controls roughly 95% of the worlds supply and production. When the Tsunami hit Japan Tungsten supplies dried up when China raised the price nearly 5 fold. HOWEVER, the catch was, if I were to move production to China they would sell Tungsten at the previous rates. I shut down the product line.

So to all of you who say “bring back American jobs” that’s great. But there is not the political will to produce the raw materials required to manufacture here. While China has been buying up mines world wide and controlling the world’s supplies of rare earths, we have been shutting down federal lands for lizards and windmills.