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Secretary Zinke Signs Order... Creating First Ever National Survey of Critical Minerals
Department of Interior ^ | December 21, 2017 | Department of Interior

Posted on 12/22/2017 9:00:22 AM PST by Hamiltonian

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, following President Donald J. Trump's executive order to break America's dependence on foreign minerals, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke signed a secretarial order directing the initial steps to producing the first nationwide geological and topographical survey of the United States in modern history. The order also directs Interior bureaus to begin work on identifying immediate domestic sources for critical minerals.

"Right now the United States is almost completely reliant on foreign adversaries and competitors for many of the minerals that are deemed critical for our national and economic security. As both a former military commander and geologist, I know the risk this presents to our nation," said Secretary Ryan Zinke. "The problem is we can't fix the problem if we don't know where the minerals are within our own borders. Other nations are far ahead of us with mapping of their mineral resources, leading to private sector investment overseas rather than right here at home. Drafting a complete topographical and geographic survey of the United States is exactly the kind of task the USGS was created to do."

(Excerpt) Read more at doi.gov ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: interior; minerals; nationalsecurity; trumpnatlsecurity; usgs; zinke
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Fast followup at Interior to yesterday's EO.

Some related things:

From Interior:

Groundbreaking Report: U.S. Reliant on China, Russia, Other Foreign Nations for Many Critical Minerals

From Fox News:

Trump's making American mining great again

1 posted on 12/22/2017 9:00:22 AM PST by Hamiltonian
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To: Hamiltonian

WQe closed our last lead refinery about a year ago. We don’t even have secure lead supplies.


2 posted on 12/22/2017 9:04:36 AM PST by DaxtonBrown
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To: Hamiltonian

I find it astounding that such rudimentary national security issues such as this and our vulnerability to EMP attack have been ignored for so long.


3 posted on 12/22/2017 9:05:51 AM PST by Jeff Chandler (Headline: Muslims Fear Backlash from Tomorrow's Terror Attack - Mark Steyn)
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To: Hamiltonian

Let’s start with uranium and determine if any traitors sold American mining companies to Russia via Canada.


4 posted on 12/22/2017 9:06:06 AM PST by Kahuna
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To: Hamiltonian

Awesome move. This is how the government needs to be run. Trump knows how to pick them. Compare and contrast to the clown show Obama surrounded himself with.

MAGA!!!


5 posted on 12/22/2017 9:07:38 AM PST by Basket_of_Deplorables (SEDITION! Obama DOJ colluded to try overthrow the President!)
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To: DaxtonBrown
That's interesting, considering that lead is on the DoD's Strategic Materials List
6 posted on 12/22/2017 9:11:23 AM PST by Hamiltonian
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To: DaxtonBrown

GALENA, IL has a lead mine that is now defunct.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galena,_Illinois


7 posted on 12/22/2017 9:12:19 AM PST by stars & stripes forever (Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Psalm 33:12")
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To: Hamiltonian

I’ll bet a lot of this data already exists in the private sector. Drawing up the list and doing the survey is important.


8 posted on 12/22/2017 9:13:35 AM PST by NonValueAdded (#DeplorableMe #BitterClinger #HillNO! #cishet #MyPresident #MAGA #Winning #covfefe)
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To: Kahuna
The other EO from yesterday might make for some good entertainment with that uranium deal.
9 posted on 12/22/2017 9:16:47 AM PST by Hamiltonian
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To: Hamiltonian

Now who on earth would ever imagine, in their wildest dreams, that a sec’y of the interior generally thought to be in charge of natural resources oversight would ever in a million years survey what minerals we have/need/are short of? That would be like people in charge of security paying attention to security. Or if someone in charge of labor examined the overall conditions for labor. Completely ridiculous. /s


10 posted on 12/22/2017 9:18:28 AM PST by Attention Surplus Disorder (Apoplectic is where we want them.)
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To: Hamiltonian

Awesome! I’m so glad we’re doing this and preparing for EMP attacks. Decades overdue!


11 posted on 12/22/2017 9:20:00 AM PST by vladimir998 (Apparently I'm still living in your head rent free. At least now it isn't empty.)
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To: Hamiltonian

Molycorp, our only rare earth mine, went bankrupt and was bought for only twenty million by the Chinese.


12 posted on 12/22/2017 9:21:20 AM PST by Rusty0604
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To: Hamiltonian

Kryptonite?


13 posted on 12/22/2017 9:21:44 AM PST by YourAdHere (Hillary 2020!)
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To: Hamiltonian

Let’s not forget rare earth, and the drum solo.


14 posted on 12/22/2017 9:22:21 AM PST by 1Old Pro
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To: YourAdHere
Kryptonite?

Don't forget Dylithium...


15 posted on 12/22/2017 9:25:18 AM PST by Magnum44 (My comprehensive terrorism plan: Hunt them down and kill them)
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To: NonValueAdded

Good point- that should save $$.


16 posted on 12/22/2017 9:29:36 AM PST by Hamiltonian
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To: Hamiltonian

When it comes down to it, a nation’s wealth is defined by what’s in the ground. This is a MAGA Move!


17 posted on 12/22/2017 9:32:23 AM PST by lacrew
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To: Jeff Chandler

“I find it astounding that such rudimentary national security issues such as this and our vulnerability to EMP attack have been ignored for so long.”

In the liberal worldview, and this carries over to those who would fight liberals too, if it isn’t getting you votes in the next election, it’s not worth considering. Also, a crisis is a good thing to have. It allows you to do things you couldn’t do otherwise. So a crisis is a win/win for politicians. Not so much for the poor sods who are bleeding or starving, but, then, they’ll be darned grateful for whatever the government can do for them.

See how all that works?


18 posted on 12/22/2017 9:36:25 AM PST by Gen.Blather
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To: 1Old Pro

And the exotic metals used in alloys for jet engine parts.


19 posted on 12/22/2017 9:39:29 AM PST by Hamiltonian
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To: Gen.Blather
The best quote from the Fox News piece:

“The liberal point of view is, if China is willing to sell us the material, let them do it.”

20 posted on 12/22/2017 9:42:47 AM PST by Hamiltonian
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