{"id":455147,"date":"2026-07-12T12:38:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T19:38:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=455147"},"modified":"2026-07-12T12:38:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T19:38:16","slug":"arizonas-hermosa-mine-clears-final-federal-hurdle-under-fast-41","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=455147","title":{"rendered":"Arizona\u2019s Hermosa Mine Clears Final Federal Hurdle Under FAST-41"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"482\" data-attachment-id=\"455154\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=455154\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-Arizonas-Hermosa-Mine-Clears-Final-Federal-Hurdle-Under-FAST-41.png?fit=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1536,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"0 ChatGPT Arizona\u2019s Hermosa Mine Clears Final Federal Hurdle Under FAST-41\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-Arizonas-Hermosa-Mine-Clears-Final-Federal-Hurdle-Under-FAST-41.png?fit=723%2C482&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-Arizonas-Hermosa-Mine-Clears-Final-Federal-Hurdle-Under-FAST-41.png?resize=723%2C482&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-455154\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-Arizonas-Hermosa-Mine-Clears-Final-Federal-Hurdle-Under-FAST-41.png?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-Arizonas-Hermosa-Mine-Clears-Final-Federal-Hurdle-Under-FAST-41.png?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-Arizonas-Hermosa-Mine-Clears-Final-Federal-Hurdle-Under-FAST-41.png?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-Arizonas-Hermosa-Mine-Clears-Final-Federal-Hurdle-Under-FAST-41.png?resize=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-Arizonas-Hermosa-Mine-Clears-Final-Federal-Hurdle-Under-FAST-41.png?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-Arizonas-Hermosa-Mine-Clears-Final-Federal-Hurdle-Under-FAST-41.png?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-Arizonas-Hermosa-Mine-Clears-Final-Federal-Hurdle-Under-FAST-41.png?w=1446&amp;ssl=1 1446w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From <a href=\"https:\/\/wattsupwiththat.com\/2026\/07\/10\/arizonas-hermosa-mine-clears-final-federal-hurdle-under-fast-41\/\">Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/legalinsurrection.com\/2026\/07\/arizonas-hermosa-mine-clears-final-federal-hurdle-under-fast-41\/\">From Legal Insurrection<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Region is home to one of the world\u2019s largest undeveloped zinc resources.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">President Donald Trump\u2019s drive to restore American energy dominance and economic strength is increasingly turning on one crucial ingredient: secure, domestic supplies of critical minerals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Hermosa Critical Minerals Project in Arizona\u2019s Patagonia Mountains stands at the center of that effort, promising U.S.-based production of zinc and manganese essential for grid reliability, advanced manufacturing, and next\u2011generation technologies. The U.S. Forest Service&nbsp;approved a final record of decision on Tuesday for the South32 Hermosa project, removing one of the few remaining hurdles for the planned&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.marketwatch.com\/story\/south32-gets-u-s-approval-for-hermosa-zinc-manganese-project-08dd6bbd?mod=markets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">critical-minerals<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marketwatch.com\/story\/south32-gets-u-s-approval-for-hermosa-zinc-manganese-project-08dd6bbd?mod=markets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;mine<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Forest Service issued the final record of decision for the Hermosa project on Tuesday, concluding the environmental review process required for infrastructure development on public land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Hermosa Critical Minerals Project shows how increasing domestic production can reduce our dependence on vulnerable foreign sources, and power modern industries, advanced technologies, and essential infrastructure,\u201d U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the project is primarily located on private land, planned infrastructure\u2013including an access road, a mine-waste facility and a portion of a power line\u2013crosses into the Coronado National Forest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-x\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">President Trump has launched an all-of-government mandate to strengthen and secure America\u2019s critical mineral supply chains \u2014 and <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/USDA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@USDA<\/a> is doing just that.<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/forestservice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@ForestService<\/a> just issued the final Record of Decision for the Hermosa Critical Minerals Project in Arizona. This will\u2026<\/p>&mdash; Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SecRollins\/status\/2074684792877060442?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 8, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The approval was expedited by the Trump administration\u2018s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.permitting.gov\/projects\/title-41-fixing-americas-surface-transportation-act-fast-41\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">use of FAST-41<\/a>, which originated as a permitting improvement program created by Congress in 2015 under&nbsp;Title 41 of the Fixing America\u2019s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. The rules streamline federal environmental reviews and authorizations for complex infrastructure projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once all elements are in place, the project is expected to create&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2026\/07\/07\/usda-advances-trump-administration-effort-boost-us-mineral-energy-production\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">thousands of jobs in the region<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The decision, completed in record time as a FAST 41project, supports President Trump\u2019s goal of increasing mineral independence and bolstering the nation\u2019s energy and economic resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">South32 Hermosa Inc., an Australia-based mining and metals company, is proposing a $2.16 billion mining and processing operation in a historic mining district in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, near the U.S.\u2013Mexico border. The project is expected to create up to 900 direct jobs and thousands more through indirect economic activity, with a goal of hiring 80 percent of its workforce locally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2026The Hermosa project represents a major economic and strategic opportunity for the United States. As home to one of the world\u2019s largest undeveloped zinc resources\u2014and minerals essential for steel production and large\u2011capacity batteries\u2014it is a critical investment in the nation\u2019s energy and manufacturing future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At a time when the United States remains heavily dependent on mineral imports that are vulnerable to long\u2011term disruptions, the Hermosa Project strengthens national security, supports economic stability, and improves supply chain resilience.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Hermosa Project was the first to be assisted by the FAST-41 process and impacts the potential route for the development of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.miningweekly.com\/article\/south32-garners-enviro-go-ahead-for-hermosa-critical-minerals-project-in-arizona-2026-07-08\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">over 50 other mines.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The final record of decision also represents an important milestone in the broader national conversation around domestic critical mineral development and permitting reform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hermosa\u2019s advancement under FAST-41 did not reduce the robustness of environmental review or limit public input. Rather, the process helped improve interagency coordination, transparency and accountability across federal agencies while ensuring the project moved through permitting in a timely and disciplined manner, Risner states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2026Hermosa marked the first project covered by FAST-41 and helped lay the groundwork for the 57 additional mining projects that have followed during the Trump administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">South32 ultimately committed to more than 135 conservation, mitigation and monitoring measures, which were developed together with federal agencies, Tribes and other local stakeholders.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Investment to get this mine going will be robust, and other key minerals for industry (e.g., silver and lead)&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tucsonsentinel.com\/local\/report\/070726_hermosa_decision\/forest-service-clears-pathway-south-32s-hermosa-mine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">will also be extracted<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Australian company South32 acquired the Hermosa project in 2013 when it bought Arizona Minerals, and has pushed to develop what company officials call a \u201cmodern, state-of-the-art\u201d mine that will extract high-grade zinc-lead-silver and \u201cbattery-grade\u201d manganese, central to building high-capacity batteries for electric cars. South32 said it would invest billions to develop the mine, including funding to build key infrastructure projects, including water management systems, power, site facilities, underground shaft sinking, and other work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In late April, the company said costs to develop the mine surged more than 50 percent from a $2.2 billion estimate in 2024 to $3.3 billion, and production was pushed to the second half of the fiscal 2028, Mining reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Hermosa Mine will also extract silver and lead \u201cessential for harnessing renewable energy,\u201d the company said. Unlike the pit mines expected for copper mining like the long-controversial Rosemont or Copper World projects, the mine will sink two shafts and use remote-controlled vehicles to extract the minerals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mine will occupy around 750 acres, and South32 has said the mine will use advanced technology to minimize air pollution and use 90 percent less water than other mines.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Hermosa Project seems to be the first real-world test of whether Washington can finally balance national security priorities with some form of sensible environmental policy, all without the usual bureaucratic paralysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If this model holds, it not only unlocks Arizona\u2019s mineral wealth but signals that the U.S. is serious about breaking its dangerous dependence on foreign supply chains. And that development is pure gold.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Region is home to one of the world\u2019s largest undeveloped zinc resources.<\/p>\n<p>President Donald Trump\u2019s drive to restore American energy dominance and economic strength is increasingly turning on one crucial ingredient: secure, domestic supplies of critical minerals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":455154,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691822199,691818931,691844033,691844034,691844032,691833487],"class_list":["post-455147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-arizona","tag-critical-minerals","tag-critical-minerals-project","tag-fast-41","tag-hermosa-mine","tag-us-president-donald-j-trump","fallback-thumbnail"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1Up5","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":410786,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=410786","url_meta":{"origin":455147,"position":0},"title":"Trump threw a big wrench into China\u2019s attempt to bully U.S. over critical minerals","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"10\/29\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Approving the construction of a gravel mining road in a remote stretch of northwest Alaska may not sound like much, but it\u2019s a giant step toward challenging an assertive China\u2019s plan to become the 21st\u00a0century\u2019s dominant global power.","rel":"","context":"In \"Alaska\"","block_context":{"text":"Alaska","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=alaska"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/0AQMkEzujHP65C25K_bgJMj_s67pWu2vcmtYn_6vxQysbIs9EPx9pRZ-9CH5MMKdn-62CL0OhQ1hVJeEyX9GfTsu_a7JEEhsm4F5UBvZgZtRutdCRcmK8qZ_yEyZTEAqp-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C484&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/0AQMkEzujHP65C25K_bgJMj_s67pWu2vcmtYn_6vxQysbIs9EPx9pRZ-9CH5MMKdn-62CL0OhQ1hVJeEyX9GfTsu_a7JEEhsm4F5UBvZgZtRutdCRcmK8qZ_yEyZTEAqp-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C484&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/0AQMkEzujHP65C25K_bgJMj_s67pWu2vcmtYn_6vxQysbIs9EPx9pRZ-9CH5MMKdn-62CL0OhQ1hVJeEyX9GfTsu_a7JEEhsm4F5UBvZgZtRutdCRcmK8qZ_yEyZTEAqp-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C484&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/0AQMkEzujHP65C25K_bgJMj_s67pWu2vcmtYn_6vxQysbIs9EPx9pRZ-9CH5MMKdn-62CL0OhQ1hVJeEyX9GfTsu_a7JEEhsm4F5UBvZgZtRutdCRcmK8qZ_yEyZTEAqp-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C484&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/0AQMkEzujHP65C25K_bgJMj_s67pWu2vcmtYn_6vxQysbIs9EPx9pRZ-9CH5MMKdn-62CL0OhQ1hVJeEyX9GfTsu_a7JEEhsm4F5UBvZgZtRutdCRcmK8qZ_yEyZTEAqp-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C484&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":424319,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=424319","url_meta":{"origin":455147,"position":1},"title":"Trump Admin Uses Equity Stakes, New Mines to Secure Critical Minerals Supply Chain","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"02\/02\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Trump administration announced a major $1.6 billion funding package for USA Rare Earth (NASDAQ: USAR) on January 26, 2026. This deal, structured through a non- binding Letter of Intent (LOI) with the U.S. Department of Commerce's CHIPS Program, aims to accelerate domestic production of rare earth elements, processing, metal-\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"China\"","block_context":{"text":"China","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=china"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQNjHGtJvPByUgE_87gArKwTAcDO_YNHBRVzj18AkSvdSRfBSgvNo1eBWAKBZ3hM2P5rQ1i-82vs-ka1lRI108rpynBel-HylcU38Ospyy3fEFtul-uHFc0TVXxtJNbJ.jpeg?fit=1200%2C574&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQNjHGtJvPByUgE_87gArKwTAcDO_YNHBRVzj18AkSvdSRfBSgvNo1eBWAKBZ3hM2P5rQ1i-82vs-ka1lRI108rpynBel-HylcU38Ospyy3fEFtul-uHFc0TVXxtJNbJ.jpeg?fit=1200%2C574&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQNjHGtJvPByUgE_87gArKwTAcDO_YNHBRVzj18AkSvdSRfBSgvNo1eBWAKBZ3hM2P5rQ1i-82vs-ka1lRI108rpynBel-HylcU38Ospyy3fEFtul-uHFc0TVXxtJNbJ.jpeg?fit=1200%2C574&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQNjHGtJvPByUgE_87gArKwTAcDO_YNHBRVzj18AkSvdSRfBSgvNo1eBWAKBZ3hM2P5rQ1i-82vs-ka1lRI108rpynBel-HylcU38Ospyy3fEFtul-uHFc0TVXxtJNbJ.jpeg?fit=1200%2C574&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQNjHGtJvPByUgE_87gArKwTAcDO_YNHBRVzj18AkSvdSRfBSgvNo1eBWAKBZ3hM2P5rQ1i-82vs-ka1lRI108rpynBel-HylcU38Ospyy3fEFtul-uHFc0TVXxtJNbJ.jpeg?fit=1200%2C574&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":417107,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=417107","url_meta":{"origin":455147,"position":2},"title":"The U.S. reenters the rare-earths race","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"12\/12\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Successive administrations did little or nothing to halt the export of American skilled labor jobs, or even to promote skilled American labor as vital to national security. Unlike his predecessors, President Trump determined to promote American labor and restore mining and manufacturing as the pathway to a stronger nation and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese\"","block_context":{"text":"Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=australian-prime-minister-anthony-albanese"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AQMorKb-PbE9-PrO1YaFmRrZYudqwE2S3Od-PaXX4NMAf83KD4K3Fb4aIPu6ScJNG3UCcObFXATPINQcZo-3xXOeybuZcSdMnOKqowpPf7gy1_HsFByCNTMivPdg9bw.jpeg?fit=1178%2C780&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AQMorKb-PbE9-PrO1YaFmRrZYudqwE2S3Od-PaXX4NMAf83KD4K3Fb4aIPu6ScJNG3UCcObFXATPINQcZo-3xXOeybuZcSdMnOKqowpPf7gy1_HsFByCNTMivPdg9bw.jpeg?fit=1178%2C780&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AQMorKb-PbE9-PrO1YaFmRrZYudqwE2S3Od-PaXX4NMAf83KD4K3Fb4aIPu6ScJNG3UCcObFXATPINQcZo-3xXOeybuZcSdMnOKqowpPf7gy1_HsFByCNTMivPdg9bw.jpeg?fit=1178%2C780&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AQMorKb-PbE9-PrO1YaFmRrZYudqwE2S3Od-PaXX4NMAf83KD4K3Fb4aIPu6ScJNG3UCcObFXATPINQcZo-3xXOeybuZcSdMnOKqowpPf7gy1_HsFByCNTMivPdg9bw.jpeg?fit=1178%2C780&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AQMorKb-PbE9-PrO1YaFmRrZYudqwE2S3Od-PaXX4NMAf83KD4K3Fb4aIPu6ScJNG3UCcObFXATPINQcZo-3xXOeybuZcSdMnOKqowpPf7gy1_HsFByCNTMivPdg9bw.jpeg?fit=1178%2C780&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":463213,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=463213","url_meta":{"origin":455147,"position":3},"title":"Mining finally gets a boost","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"08\/15\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"On August 7, President Trump announced over $180 million in investments for universities that still offer mining engineering and related programs, plus over $2 billion for mining and mining-related projects nationwide. The Department of Energy launched a $100 million grant program to expand the mining and critical minerals academic and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Critical Minerals\"","block_context":{"text":"Critical Minerals","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=critical-minerals"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/0-Mining-finally-gets-a-boost.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/0-Mining-finally-gets-a-boost.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/0-Mining-finally-gets-a-boost.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/0-Mining-finally-gets-a-boost.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/0-Mining-finally-gets-a-boost.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":467384,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=467384","url_meta":{"origin":455147,"position":4},"title":"The Ark-La-Tex may be leading America\u2019s lithium race","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"08\/31\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The discovery of vast lithium resources in the Smackover Formation, most notably in southern Arkansas and into far northern Louisiana and across northeast Texas, has sparked widespread interest among corporations and community leaders in all three states. The Ark-La-Tex has long been a major U.S. oil and gas hub, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Ark-La-Tex\"","block_context":{"text":"Ark-La-Tex","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=ark-la-tex"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/0-ChatGPT-The-Ark-La-Tex-may-be-leading-Americas-lithium-race.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/0-ChatGPT-The-Ark-La-Tex-may-be-leading-Americas-lithium-race.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/0-ChatGPT-The-Ark-La-Tex-may-be-leading-Americas-lithium-race.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/0-ChatGPT-The-Ark-La-Tex-may-be-leading-Americas-lithium-race.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/0-ChatGPT-The-Ark-La-Tex-may-be-leading-Americas-lithium-race.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":422707,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=422707","url_meta":{"origin":455147,"position":5},"title":"China Will Remain the World\u2019s Dominant Critical Mineral Processing Supplier Through 2030","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"01\/23\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"According to the\u00a0Epoch Times, China controls\u00a0about 90% of global capacity\u00a0for the processing, smelting, and separation of these materials, as well as for the manufacturing of magnetic materials. While the United States, Australia, Brazil, India, and parts of Africa are establishing new\u00a0mines, most of their concentrates still have to be shipped\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"China\"","block_context":{"text":"China","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=china"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQOTW5pM4KWp4fSh3J4ptU2IN0zMfhryxmLpwD_ZcLI1x54XGFWR6O732OWGF2pJ_NLne9RUfJSXYwz27BrIIdT3pKWQJReJSWfoRl1gFFUtAww-MIqM88jycf2-lVgK.jpeg?fit=1200%2C757&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQOTW5pM4KWp4fSh3J4ptU2IN0zMfhryxmLpwD_ZcLI1x54XGFWR6O732OWGF2pJ_NLne9RUfJSXYwz27BrIIdT3pKWQJReJSWfoRl1gFFUtAww-MIqM88jycf2-lVgK.jpeg?fit=1200%2C757&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQOTW5pM4KWp4fSh3J4ptU2IN0zMfhryxmLpwD_ZcLI1x54XGFWR6O732OWGF2pJ_NLne9RUfJSXYwz27BrIIdT3pKWQJReJSWfoRl1gFFUtAww-MIqM88jycf2-lVgK.jpeg?fit=1200%2C757&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQOTW5pM4KWp4fSh3J4ptU2IN0zMfhryxmLpwD_ZcLI1x54XGFWR6O732OWGF2pJ_NLne9RUfJSXYwz27BrIIdT3pKWQJReJSWfoRl1gFFUtAww-MIqM88jycf2-lVgK.jpeg?fit=1200%2C757&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQOTW5pM4KWp4fSh3J4ptU2IN0zMfhryxmLpwD_ZcLI1x54XGFWR6O732OWGF2pJ_NLne9RUfJSXYwz27BrIIdT3pKWQJReJSWfoRl1gFFUtAww-MIqM88jycf2-lVgK.jpeg?fit=1200%2C757&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-Arizonas-Hermosa-Mine-Clears-Final-Federal-Hurdle-Under-FAST-41.png?fit=1536%2C1024&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/455147","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=455147"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/455147\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":455160,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/455147\/revisions\/455160"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/455154"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=455147"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=455147"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=455147"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}