[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 26 (Thursday, February 17, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S882-S884]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. UDALL of Colorado:
  S. 383. A bill to promote the domestic production of critical 
minerals and materials, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources.

[[Page S883]]

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I rise today to address an 
issue that affects both our economic and national security--critical 
minerals and materials. These materials are used in everything from 
wind turbines to cell phones to weapons guidance systems. However, 
these materials are primarily imported--many from China--and not always 
readily available. For example, several clean energy technologies--
including wind turbines, batteries and solar panels--require materials 
that are at risk of supply disruptions. According to the Department of 
Energy, clean energy technologies currently constitute 20 percent of 
global consumption of critical materials. As clean energy technologies 
are deployed more widely in the decades ahead, demand for critical 
materials will likely grow.
  Furthermore, these materials are needed for a number of products 
essential to protecting our Nation's security, including precision-
guided munitions systems, lasers, communication systems, radar systems, 
avionics, night vision equipment, and satellites. Many of these 
materials are produced primarily in other countries, and some are not 
produced in the United States at all.
  One group of critical minerals with very high importance today is 
rare earth elements. The United States was once the primary producer of 
rare earth materials according to the U.S. Geological Survey, but over 
the past 15 years we have become 100 percent reliant on imports, with 
97 percent coming from China.
  When the rare earth industry left the United States, our rare earth 
materials workforce dwindled as well, leaving very few experts with 
experience in processing these materials. Currently, there are no 
curricula in U.S. universities that are geared toward training a new 
expert workforce; rather, most of the expertise resides in China and 
Japan. In addition, the U.S.-developed intellectual property for making 
many of these materials is owned by Japan.
  Rare earth materials are not the only critical materials in demand 
today. Similar supply problems are imminent for other types of minerals 
and materials that will be essential for the increased deployment of 
technologies like batteries, solar panels and electric vehicles. Both 
the Department of Energy and the National Academy of Sciences have 
identified minerals and materials--such as lithium, manganese and 
rhodium--that are now or could become critical in the near future.
  Today, I am introducing the Critical Minerals and Materials Act of 
2011, a bill intended to help build up the supply chain of minerals and 
materials that are vital for the development of a clean energy economy 
and for our national defense.
  The National Academy of Sciences recommended improved data-gathering 
by the Federal Government along with research and development to 
encourage domestic innovation in the area of critical minerals and 
materials. My bill specifically would direct the Department of Energy 
to begin research and development on critical minerals and materials in 
order to strengthen our domestic supply chain. It would also direct the 
Department of the Interior to lead in gathering information on the 
current supply chain and to forecast what materials we might need in 
the future as our clean energy economy develops.
  Finally, my bill would build up the workforce necessary for the 
United States to regain its leadership in the critical minerals and 
materials industry. Fellow Coloradans in this industry have told me 
that it is difficult to find qualified workers to hire in the minerals 
and materials sector. There are good-paying jobs out there waiting to 
be filled, and more will become available as these industries grow. But 
we need to make sure our workforce is properly trained to be able to 
take advantage of these opportunities and retain U.S. expertise in this 
industry. My bill will provide for such training in the Nation's 
colleges and universities, as well as in our technical and community 
colleges.
  While there are a great many minerals and materials that are 
important for our economic and national security, my bill will focus on 
only the small portion of minerals and materials that have become 
critical due to their highly vulnerable supply chain. These critical 
minerals and materials are in danger of becoming simply unavailable or 
extremely expensive and I believe these deserve extra attention.
  We must also recognize that the raw minerals for these critical 
materials are often on Federal land and are a valuable resource owned 
by U.S. citizens. Mining for them must be done in a safe and 
environmentally responsible way--and that is why I continue to support 
mining law reform. However, we simply cannot be so dependent upon China 
or any other nation to provide these critical materials. My bill would 
ensure that the U.S. is armed with a robust domestic supply chain and a 
skilled workforce needed to produce these materials. I urge my 
colleagues of both parties to join me in supporting this legislation.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 383

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Critical Minerals and 
     Materials Promotion Act of 2011''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF CRITICAL MINERALS AND MATERIALS.

       In this Act:
       (1) In general.--The term ``critical minerals and 
     materials'' means naturally occurring, nonliving, nonfuel 
     substances with a definite chemical composition--
       (A) that perform an essential function for which no 
     satisfactory substitutes exist; and
       (B) the supply of which has a high probability of becoming 
     restricted, leading to physical unavailability or excessive 
     costs for the applicable minerals and materials in key 
     applications.
       (2) Exclusions.--The term ``critical minerals and 
     materials'' does not include ice, water, or snow.

     SEC. 3. PROGRAM TO DETERMINE PRESENCE OF AND FUTURE NEEDS FOR 
                   CRITICAL MINERALS AND MATERIALS.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior, acting 
     through the United States Geological Survey, shall establish 
     a research and development program--
       (1) to provide data and scientific analyses for research 
     on, and assessments of the potential for, undiscovered and 
     discovered resources of critical minerals and materials in 
     the United States and other countries; and
       (2) to analyze and assess current and future critical 
     minerals and materials supply chains--
       (A) with advice from the Energy Information Administration 
     on future energy technology market penetration; and
       (B) using the Mineral Commodity Summaries produced by the 
     United States Geological Survey.
       (b) Global Supply Chain.--The Secretary shall, if 
     appropriate, cooperate with international partners to ensure 
     that the program established under subsection (a) provides 
     analyses of the global supply chain of critical minerals and 
     materials.

     SEC. 4. PROGRAM TO STRENGTHEN THE DOMESTIC CRITICAL MINERALS 
                   AND MATERIALS SUPPLY CHAIN FOR CLEAN ENERGY 
                   TECHNOLOGIES.

       The Secretary of Energy shall conduct a program of 
     research, development, and demonstration to strengthen the 
     domestic critical minerals and materials supply chain for 
     clean energy technologies and to ensure the long-term, 
     secure, and sustainable supply of critical minerals and 
     materials sufficient to strengthen the national security of 
     the United States and meet the clean energy production needs 
     of the United States, including--
       (1) critical minerals and materials production, processing, 
     and refining;
       (2) minimization of critical minerals and materials in 
     energy technologies;
       (3) recycling of critical minerals and materials; and
       (4) substitutes for critical minerals and materials in 
     energy technologies.

     SEC. 5. STRENGTHENING EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN MINERAL AND 
                   MATERIAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FOR CRITICAL 
                   MINERALS AND MATERIALS PRODUCTION.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy shall promote the 
     development of the critical minerals and materials industry 
     workforce in the United States.
       (b) Support.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary 
     shall support--
       (1) critical minerals and materials education by providing 
     undergraduate and graduate scholarships and fellowships at 
     institutions of higher education, including technical and 
     community colleges;
       (2) partnerships between industry and institutions of 
     higher education, including technical and community colleges, 
     to provide onsite job training; and
       (3) development of courses and curricula on critical 
     minerals and materials.

     SEC. 6. SUPPLY OF CRITICAL MINERALS AND MATERIALS.

       (a) Policy.--It is the policy of the United States to 
     promote an adequate and stable

[[Page S884]]

     supply of critical minerals and materials necessary to 
     maintain national security, economic well-being, and 
     industrial production with appropriate attention to a long-
     term balance between resource production, energy use, a 
     healthy environment, natural resources conservation, and 
     social needs.
       (b) Implementation.--To implement the policy described in 
     subsection (a), the President, acting through the Executive 
     Office of the President, shall--
       (1) coordinate the actions of applicable Federal agencies;
       (2) identify critical minerals and materials needs and 
     establish early warning systems for critical minerals and 
     materials supply problems;
       (3) establish a mechanism for the coordination and 
     evaluation of Federal critical minerals and materials 
     programs, including programs involving research and 
     development, in a manner that complements related efforts 
     carried out by the private sector and other domestic and 
     international agencies and organizations;
       (4) promote and encourage private enterprise in the 
     development of economically sound and stable domestic 
     critical minerals and materials supply chains;
       (5) promote and encourage the recycling of critical 
     minerals and materials, taking into account the logistics, 
     economic viability, environmental sustainability, and 
     research and development needs for completing the recycling 
     process;
       (6) assess the need for and make recommendations concerning 
     the availability and adequacy of the supply of technically 
     trained personnel necessary for critical minerals and 
     materials research, development, extraction, and industrial 
     practice, with a particular focus on the problem of 
     attracting and maintaining high quality professionals for 
     maintaining an adequate supply of critical minerals and 
     materials; and
       (7) report to Congress on activities and findings under 
     this subsection.

     SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
     Act such sums as are necessary.
                                 ______