Michael Auslin writes in The Wall Street Journal about a recent mineral discovery in Wyoming.
- A mine in Wyoming has been discovered which contains an estimated 2.34 billion metric tons of rare earth metals and high levels of two of the most in-demand rare earths, neodymium and praseodymium oxides.
- While this discovery could reduce our dependence on China for rare earth minerals, America’s regulatory system stands in the way of capitalizing on this finding.
- The U.S. must modernize regulations for mining projects to ensure that we can take advantage of our on mineral abundance while protecting the environment.
“Smart resource regulation is of course necessary, but we know more today than we ever have about how to protect the environment while powering a diverse economy. If the U.S. refuses to press its natural advantages, it will cede global leadership to China.”
Read the full article here.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.
