The United Nations has developed a proposal for a "Global Minerals Trust" that would join countries that produce critical minerals to jointly manage a stockpile of pooled commodities in an effort to avoid shortages, encourage recycling, support production and prioritize minerals for sustainable developers. In order to secure a more reliable global supply chain, researchers at the U.N. say this kind of collaboration and organization is needed. So what's the catch? Convincing governments to set aside their own mineral ambitions to collaborate for the greater good.
The Department of the Interior has authorized a nearly 1,900-acre expansion of the mine that supplies Montana's largest power plant with coal. The expansion of the Rosebud coal mine is expected to open access to 34 million tons of federal coal and, according to Interior, reflects the Interior Department's "focus on energy independence, rural prosperity and permitting certainty."
And the State Department announced that it is in talks with the Cook Islands for research on seabed mineral exploration and development. The Cook Islands lie halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii and are made up of 15 islands and atolls. Western nations have become increasingly concerned about China's plans to increase influence in the Pacific islands after Beijing signed defense, trade and financial deals with Pacific countries in recent years.
That's your Mining Minute for this morning, highlighting some of the mining-related matters that are on our minds here in Washington and beyond. Follow us on the National Mining Association's channels, as well as on Minerals Make Life and Count on Coal, for more on the latest news and policies impacting mining.
