Trump Administration Fast Tracks Permitting for Key US Mining Projects

The Trump administration has fast tracked permitting for 10 US mining projects under the FAST-41 infrastructure initiative, escalating efforts to bolster domestic minerals output and reduce foreign reliance.

The announcement, made on April 18 by the White House and the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council, comes in direct response to a March 20 executive order from President Donald Trump.

It mandates swift and accountable action to facilitate the development of the nation’s vast mineral reserves.

“This is the first use of the Permitting Council’s transparency authority, and we look forward to showcasing the many benefits the Federal Permitting Dashboard can bring to critical infrastructure projects,” Manisha Patel, acting executive director at the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council, said in a press release.

The 10 projects, which include sites for copper, gold, silver, lithium, phosphate, potash and metallurgical coal, have been formally granted FAST-41 status — a designation from the 2015 Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act that streamlines environmental reviews and interagency coordination for major infrastructure projects.

The status does not exempt them from environmental regulations, but aims to cut bureaucratic delays and improve transparency by publishing real-time permitting progress on a federal dashboard.

Among the fast-tracked projects are:

• Resolution copper project in Arizona — Resolution Copper, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO)
• Stibnite gold project in Idaho — Perpetua Resources (TSX:PPTA,NASDAQ:PPTA)
• Warrior Met Coal's (NYSE:HCC) met coal operations in Alabama
• McDermitt lithium project in Oregon — HiTech Minerals, a subsidiary of Jindalee Lithium (ASX:JLL,OTCQX:JNDAF)
• South West Arkansas project — Standard Lithium (TSXV:SLI,NYSE:SLI)
• Caldwell Canyon phosphate project in Idaho — P4 Production
• Lisbon Valley copper project in Utah — Lisbon Valley Mining Company
• Silver Peak lithium mine expansion in Nevada — Albemarle (NYSE:ALB)
• Michigan potash project — Michigan Potash Operating
• Libby silver-copper project in Montana — Hecla Mining Company (NYSE:HL) 

While some of these projects are still in the exploration or environmental assessment stages, their inclusion signals priority status. This means permitting timelines will now be coordinated among relevant agencies and tracked publicly to reduce administrative redundancies that have historically delayed US mining ventures for up to a decade.

The move underscores the Trump administration’s broader policy of “American Energy Dominance,” which includes securing domestic supply chains for critical materials used in electronics, electric vehicles, clean energy technologies and military hardware. A recent statement from the Department of the Interior warns that continued dependence on commodity imports — especially from geopolitical competitors like China — poses a threat to national security.

“For too long, duplicative processes and regulatory paralysis have delayed the development of the minerals America needs to power everything from national defense systems to smartphones,” Adam Suess, acting assistant secretary for land and minerals management at the Department of the Interior, emphasized in the release.

“By cutting red tape and increasing accountability, we’re making it clear that under President Trump, the United States is serious about being a global leader in critical minerals,” he added.

The focus on key metals like lithium and copper comes as the US seeks to diversify supply away from China, which currently dominates global trade in many of these strategic materials. Furthermore, the fast-track announcement follows Trump’s directive earlier this month to launch a federal probe into possible new tariffs on all critical minerals imports, signaling a more aggressive stance toward reshoring key elements of the nation’s industrial supply chain.

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Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Editorial Disclosure: Jindalee Lithium is a client of the Investing News Network. This article is not paid-for content.