On December 13, SME sponsored and participated in a series of congressional briefings in Washington, D.C. titled, “Critical Minerals: Ensuring America’s Future.” Jon Price, SME Board member and Emeritus State Geologist for the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology spoke, along with representatives from the U.S. Geological Survey and the American Geosciences Institute, on America’s dependence on foreign sources of critical minerals, the role that rare earths and other strategic minerals play in daily life, and those minerals’ impact on job creation and national security. One briefing was held in the Rayburn house office building for over 60 attendees from the news media, congressional offices, the scientific community and the general public. A private briefing was also given to Senate staff in the Dirksen building later in the day.
This was a great opportunity for SME to raise its profile in Washington as a significant player in the public policy discussions regarding mining and minerals in the U.S. SME brings credibility to the discussions that center on technical, fact-based issues related to exploration, extraction, processing and manufacture of mined materials.
SME sponsored the event along with National Mining Association, AGI, GSA, the Defense Logistics Agency, and the Environmental and Energy Studies Institute.
SME Board member Jon Price at the Senate briefing.
From the House briefing: L-R Jon, Price; Joe Gambogi, USGS; Larry Meinert, USGS; Pat Leahy, AGI.