Coosa Graphite Deposit Project is the Latest to Gain FAST-41 Status
Contact Information
Permitting Council Press Office (media@permitting.gov)
WASHINGTON (March 30, 2026) – The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) is pleased to announce the latest mining project gain FAST-41 coverage—the Coosa Graphite Deposit Project.
“I am happy to welcome the Coosa Graphite Deposit project as the 55th mining project in the FAST-41 portfolio,” said Emily Domenech, Permitting Council Executive Director. “With 12 mining projects already permitted in just the first 14 months of the Trump Administration, we have a proven record of success for FAST-41 projects. I know our process will bring the efficiency and predictability needed to get this project to the permitting finish line.”
Located in east-central Alabama near Rockford, in the heart of the historic, past-producing Alabama Graphite Belt, the Coosa Graphite Deposit project plans to mine 1,600 acres containing over 1.8 million tons of battery-grade natural graphite for use in the creation of lithium-iron batteries.
“Westwater welcomes the inclusion of the Coosa Graphite Project into the FAST-41 permitting process," said Terence Cryan, Executive Chairman for Westwater Resources, Inc. "As the largest and most advanced natural graphite deposit in the continental United States, Coosa is well suited to leverage the improved coordination, accountability, and transparency that FAST-41 provides, and we look forward to working closely with federal and state agencies to advance permitting.”
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is the lead permitting agency for this project. Westwater Resources Inc. is the project sponsor. Learn more about this project on the Federal Permitting Dashboard.
About the Permitting Council and FAST-41
Established in 2015 by Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41), the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) is a federal agency charged with improving the transparency and predictability of the federal environmental review and authorization process for certain critical infrastructure projects. The Permitting Council is composed of the Permitting Council Executive Director, who serves as the Council Chair; 13 federal agency Council members; and the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. The Office of the Executive Director coordinates federal environmental reviews and authorizations for projects that seek and qualify for FAST-41 coverage, which are in turn entitled to comprehensive permitting timetables and transparent, collaborative management of those timetables on the Federal Permitting Dashboard.
Learn more about the Permitting Council at permitting.gov.
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Last Updated: Monday, March 30, 2026