by Dan Burns

May 28, 2021, 8:00 AM

Pres. Biden doesn’t seem to see a need for PolyMet

Or for new mining, sulfide or otherwise, in general. From earlier this week:

U.S. President Joe Biden will rely on ally countries to supply the bulk of the metals needed to build electric vehicles and focus on processing them domestically into battery parts, part of a strategy designed to placate environmentalists, two administration officials with direct knowledge told Reuters.

The plans will be a blow to U.S. miners who had hoped Biden would rely primarily on domestically sourced metals, as his campaign had signalled last autumn, to help fulfill his ambitions for a less carbon-intensive economy…

“It rings hollow when I hear everyone use this as a national defense argument, that we have to build new mines to have a greener economy,” said U.S. Representative Betty McCollum, a Democrat who has introduced legislation that would permanently block Antofagasta Plc’s (ANTO.L) proposed Twin Metals copper mine in Minnesota.
(Reuters)

I’m not letting myself be overwhelmed with joy on this. It’s good, but it’s also the sort of thing that any politicians can weasel around if a situation seems to call for that. I do love that the primary reason given is that environmentalists are having a major effect.