A poll cast from Washington DC has shown that 86% of voters are concerned about the state of American infrastructure.
The Morning Consult for the National Mining Association cast the vote and found that more than 65% of voters are in favour of streamlining the mine permitting process. This could start to improve infrastructure by increasing the availability of domestic minerals for rebuilding projects
“Americans are concerned about our infrastructure – with good reason,” said Hal Quinn, NMA president and CEO.
“In its annual review, the American Society of Civil Engineers indicated that our infrastructure is near failure. While the administration and Congress have shown a willingness to focus on addressing these dangerous shortfalls in our system, without a readily available supply of the metals and minerals required for repairs and rebuilding, our infrastructure remains at-risk.”
The U.S. received a “D+” from the American Society of Civil Engineers in its 2017 annual infrastructure report card.
The polling comes as the President today signed an executive order “establishing discipline and accountability in the environmental review and permitting process for infrastructure projects,” according to the White House. The administration has previously expressed a desire to “root out inefficiency, clarify lines of authority and streamline federal and state [and] local procedures so that communities can modernize their aging infrastructure without fear of outdated federal rules getting in their way.”
Mining is key in gathering minerals and metals such as molybdenum, copper, iron, and zinc. All of which form the foundation of roads, bridges, railroads, buildings and all over elements of US infrastructure. Unfortunately, failed permitting policies that take from seven to 10 years for a new mine to receive permits keep these materials locked in the ground.