Husted leads bill to lift regulations on American critical mineral recovery

“We cannot allow our critical mineral recovery to be hindered by overzealous environmental regulations when our adversaries are focused on outpacing America.”
WASHINGTON – Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) introduced the Spent Petroleum Catalyst Recycling and Critical Mineral and Metals Recovery Act. The bill would streamline environmental oversight of critical mineral recovery to meet supply chain needs without compromising environmental standards.
Rep. Troy Balderson (R-Ohio) introduced the companion bill to the Spent Petroleum Catalyst Recycling and Critical Mineral and Metals Recovery Act in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“We cannot allow our critical mineral recovery to be hindered by overzealous environmental regulations when our adversaries are focused on outpacing America. China already bridged the gap between the public and private sectors. American free-market mining operations should be able to run circles around a socialized system. Instead, government red tape is pulling us further from the finish line. This bill would lift some of the burden to allow American critical mineral recovery to meet the demands of an increasingly difficult permitting system,”said Husted.
“Ohio workers have long powered America’s industrial strength, and that means producing the critical minerals our economy depends on right here at home. This legislation reins in overreach at the Environmental Protection Agency, provides long-term certainty for producers of critical minerals, and cuts the red tape that puts American jobs at risk. Ferrovanadium makes the steel behind our cars, bridges, energy grid, and defense stronger—and this bill ensures we can continue to produce it in Ohio,”said Balderson.
The U.S. is home to one domestic producer of ferrovanadium, a critical mineral alloy essential for national defense, critical infrastructure and America’s energy sector. The company, based out of Cambridge and Zanesville, Ohio, supplies about 40% of U.S. ferrovanadium demand.
The Spent Petroleum Catalyst Recycling and Critical Mineral and Metals Recovery Act would:
Statements of support for the Spent Petroleum Catalyst Recycling and Critical Mineral and Metals Recovery Act:
“This reform aligns with the intent of President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order No. 14272, which underscores the urgent need to secure domestic supplies of critical minerals in order to protect our manufacturing base and defense industrial supply chains from dependence on adversarial nations. By codifying a clear exclusion for spent catalyst recycling, Congress will bolster domestic production of vanadium, reduce needless regulatory burdens, and strengthen America’s self-reliance in critical mineral supply,”said Dave Yost, Attorney General for Ohio.
“This important legislation addresses a pressing national security concern: preserving the domestic viability of ferrovanadium, a United States designated critical mineral essential for our steel industry, infrastructure, and defense. U.S. EPA’s contrary regulatory interpretations are inconsistent with the concept and implementation of cooperative federalism,”said John Logue, Director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
Inside U.S. Trade firstreportedon the bill.
Full text of the bill is availablehere.