Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Federal regulatory framework: effects on mineral exploration, and mine development on domestic public and private lands

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5789994

This report evaluates the relationship between the federal regulatory environment as expressed by federal land management laws, federal environmental laws, and federal health and safety laws, and mineral exploration and mine development on federal and non-federal lands in the United States. Some of the background information required to prepare an assessment that examines constraints on non-federal minerals accessibility in the United States resulting fron federal laws, policies, and practices is included. The federal regulatory framework affects mineral exploration and mine development for locateable, leasable, and disposable minerals on both public and private lands. This paper identifies probable commodity effects, exploration effects, and mine development effects. This report focuses heavily on the effects of the regulatory framework on mining industry functions, especially at the mineral exploration stage. The regulatory framework is analyzed in three parts: the first describes the problem in terms of mineral demand, supply and the supply development process; the second describes the regulatory framework and its effects on mineral supply development by mineral commodity group as well as effects on mineral exploration and mine development; the third summarizes the findings and presents the conclusions drawn from those findings. 14 references, 5 figures, 11 tables.

Research Organization:
Whitney (John W.), Inc., Reno, NV (USA)
OSTI ID:
5789994
Report Number(s):
NP-3910799; ON: DE83910799
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English