Good news for infrastructure, including mining projects! On March 21st, the House Subcommittee on Energy and Natural Resources chaired by Congressman Paul Gosar (R-AZ) held a hearing on infrastructure and discussed permitting timeline delays in the U.S. Notably, Gosar stated:
"Aggregates such as crushed stone, sand and gravel are the literal foundation of many of our infrastructure projects. Expedited permitting regimes for infrastructure projects will have little to no effect if the mines that supply materials to those projects do not share the same accelerated process."
The arduous permitting process for most mining operations takes seven to ten years as compared to two or three years in Australia. Of note is the fact that, after having successfully navigated a long, expensive and often frustrating permitting process, applicants then face litigation by special interest groups some of which have as their primary goal only delay. We will succeed if the Committee can match the infrastructure investments with sound reforms to the regulatory processes which often delay and sometimes collapse good mining projects.
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