Cheney Co-Sponsors Bill to Support Uranium Mining
Announced in a press release, Representative Liz Cheney put out a statement after co-sponsoring the Critical Minerals Classification Improvement Act, along with seven other congresspeople.
The main thrust of the bill is that it's hoping to re-add uranium to the list of critical minerals, as it was excluded from the most recent list of critical minerals for being a fuel mineral.
Cheney said:
"Wyoming is home to the largest reserves of uranium in the country. It is essential that we maintain a supply of uranium and other fuel and non-fuel use minerals to sustain our economic and national security," Cheney said. "While we continue to face rising energy costs at home and the Biden Administration looks to our adversaries to fill the void, we should instead be focused on unleashing American energy production and become the arsenal of energy for the world. I am proud to co-sponsor this commonsense legislation to do just that and ensure that restoring our nation's energy leadership begins with Wyoming."
The bill, which was introduced on June 13 by Representative August Pfluger, a Republican from Texas, was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources that same day, with no action taken since then.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, by being on the list of critical minerals, those specific minerals are then deemed more important and are prioritized by various federal agencies when it comes to making supply chains for those minerals more efficient.
The original list of 35 critical minerals put out in 2018 included uranium, however, the updated list in 2022, which increased the number to 50, didn't include uranium, as it was prohibited due to being a fuel mineral.
According to the release by Cheney, the bill is supported by Uranium Producers of America, the U.S. Chamber Global Energy Institute, the American Exploration, and Mining Association, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions, the National Mining Association, the U.S. Nuclear Industry Council, ClearPath Action, and the Nuclear Energy Institute.
However, groups like the Center for Western Priorities, the National Resource Defense Council, and the Environmental Defense Fund, have spoken out against increased uranium mining.