- Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, introduced legislation that would help streamline the process for iron and copper mining.
- Utah is home to Rio Tinto's Kennecott Bingham Canyon Mine, the largest open pit mine for copper in the world.
- The mining industry is key in Utah and elsewhere in the country as the nation struggles to compete with China.
Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, introduced the Protecting Domestic Mining Act of 2025 to strengthen American mining and restore domestic energy independence. He introduced this legislation this week alongside Congressman Jefferson Shreve, a GOP representative from Indiana.
Moore’s office said that in 2023, the Biden administration proposed a rule limiting the minerals eligible for expedited permitting in the United States. The Protecting Domestic Mining Act of 2025 blocks the Biden administration’s proposed rule and streamlines the permitting process for critical minerals like copper and iron, according to Moore.
He added this legislation ensures vital mining and mineral refining can swiftly and successfully be produced in the United States by American workers.
“The U.S. domestic mining industry is critical to our national security and energy dominance,” he said.
“In Utah alone, mining supports over 43,000 jobs and contributes over $5.2 billion to our state GDP annually. As our mineral demand continues to grow, our permitting process must keep pace. I’m proud to work with Congressman Shreve to introduce the Protecting Domestic Mining Act of 2025 to ensure mining projects qualify for FAST-41 status.”
Shreve had this to add: “The Biden administration’s proposed rule undermines the American mining industry and diverts essential mineral production to China. My bill pushes back to protect American energy and eliminate reliance on our adversaries. It ensures critical mining projects can quickly receive the necessary permits and establish our nation as a prominent leader in energy production.”
This bill is particularly important as it relates to copper mining in Utah, where Kennecott last year announced plans to invest nearly a billion dollars in its operation which is home to the world’s largest open pit copper mine — visible from space.
Some facts about the Utah operations:
• Kennecott Utah Copper’s Bingham Canyon Mine has produced more copper than any mine in history — about 19 million tons.
• The mine is 2¾ miles across at the top and ¾ of a mile deep.
• You could stack two Sears Towers (now known as the Willis building), on top of each other and still not reach the top of the mine.
• If you stretched out all the roads in the open-pit mine — some 500 miles of roadway — you’d have enough distance to reach from Salt Lake City to Denver.
Copper is necessary for building construction, transportation, industry, computers and electronics, as well as advanced green technology, such as solar panels, wind turbines and hybrid cars.
According to Kennecott, it requires about 15 different minerals to make a car, 30 different minerals to make a computer, and as many as 42 different minerals to make a telephone. Copper can be found in each of these products.
The company says on average, each person in America uses about 30 pounds of copper every year and the typical new home contains about 500 pounds of copper — found mostly in wiring, plumbing and brass fixtures.
Richard Russell, senior vice president of government and political affairs at the National Mining Association, called the legislation crucial.
“As China continues its campaign of mineral extortion against the United States and our allies, the Protecting Domestic Mining Act of 2025 will help to improve the timeliness, predictability and transparency of the federal environmental review and authorization process for covered infrastructure projects, including mining,” he said.