Raúl Grijalva: “My amendment would prevent uranium from being considered as a critical mineral under the Trump Administration's critical…”

“My amendment would prevent uranium from being considered as a critical mineral under the Trump Administration's critical mineral strategy. Last year, the Interior Department included uranium on a list of critical minerals required under Executive Order 13817. However, uranium does not meet the definition of a ``critical mineral'' in that executive order. Under the order, the first criteria for a critical mineral is that it must be a ``non-fuel mineral'' or a ``mineral material.'' Uranium is neither. Even the Department of the Interior understands that. Earlier this month at a Natural Resources Committee hearing on my Grand Canyon Centennial Protection Act, a senior official from the Department testified that, ``Uranium, like oil and gas, solar, wind, geothermal, and other energy sources, remains a vital component of a responsible and comprehensive energy strategy.'' Clearly, uranium is a fuel mineral, so it fails to meet that part of the critical mineral definition. And a ``mineral material'' is defined by the Minerals Act of 1947 as common varieties of sand, stone, gravel, pumice, and other similar items. The Bureau of Land Management also clearly tells people on their website that mineral materials are sold and not subject to the Mining Law of 1872. Uranium, on the other hand, is subject to the Mining Law of 1872, and it is not a ``common variety'' of anything by any stretch of the imagination. So uranium fails that test as well.…”