Permitting Council Meets Agency Milestone with 50 Mining Infrastructure Projects Receiving Council Benefits

WASHINGTON (November 20, 2025) – The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) is pleased to announce that 50 critical mineral and mining projects are now receiving the benefits of FAST-41 traditional and transparency coverage, with 49 projects added since the start of the Trump Administration. Added to FAST-41 in response to President Trump’s March 20, 2025 Executive Order on Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production, these projects are poised to unlock our nation’s abundant critical mineral resources, providing foundational elements needed for national necessities from battery production and military defense, to electricity generation and medicinal purposes. 

“Prior to the Trump Administration the average time it took to permit a mining project was 29 years,” said Emily Domenech, Permitting Council Executive Director. “That kind of endless bureaucracy doesn’t protect the environment, and it won’t help us develop critical resources to power our economy and compete with China. Under President Trump’s leadership, the Permitting Council is committed to streamlining the federal process, providing transparency to project developers, and ensuring that responsible environmental reviews are as efficient as possible. We are excited to continue to grow the FAST-41 critical mineral and mining portfolio and shepherd more projects through federal permitting.” 

In the months following the Executive Order, the Permitting Council prioritized bringing critical mineral and mining projects to the FAST-41 program. Of the 39 transparency projects brought to FAST-41 during the Trump Administration, six have already completed federal permitting, including the 3PL Railroad Valley Exploration, Amelia A&B, Aqqaluk Pit Exploration and Expansion, Caldwell Canyon Mine, Lisbon Valley Copper, and Stibnite Gold. These projects are anticipated to play a key role in extracting a variety of vital minerals, including zinc, antimony, gold, lithium, titanium oxide, phosphate ore, copper ore and zircon. 

The selected projects will play a significant role in growing the economy and re-establishing the United States as a global leader in critical mineral extraction and processing. Selected projects include:

Transparency Mineral Mining Projects:

• 3PL Railroad Valley Exploration Project

• Amelia A&B

• Angel Island

• Antler Cooper Project

• Aqqualuk Pit Exploration and Expansion 

• Becky’s Mine Modification

• Blue Copper Project

• Bronco Creek Exploration Project

• Burnt Rock Exploration Project 

• Caldwell Canyon Mine Project

• Copper Creek Exploration Project

• Doe Run Project

• Golden Mile Mine Project

• Grassy Mountain Mine Project

• Greens Creek Surface Exploration

• Kings Mountain Lithium Material Processing Plant

• Libby Exploration Project

• Liberty Owl

• Lisbon Valley Copper Project

• Maxville Expansion

• McDermitt Exploration Project

• Michigan Potash

• Muncy Creek Mineral Exploration Project

• Nikolai Nickel Project

• NorthMet Project

• Polaris Exploration Project

• Resolution Copper Project

• Roca Honda Project

• Sheep Creek Project

• Silver Peak Lithium Mine

• South West Arkansas Project

• Stibnite Gold Project

• Stillwater Mine

• Sweetwater Project

• Trail Ridge South

• Warrior Met Coal Mines

FAST-41 Covered Mineral Mining Projects:

• Castle Mountain Mine Phase 2 Project

• Crownpoint / Church Rock Uranium Project

• Dewey Burdock ISR Uranium Project

• Donlin Gold Project

• Grants Precision ISR Project

• Graphite Creek Project

• Hell's Kitchen Critical Minerals & Power

• Kilbourne Graphite Project

• La Jara Mesa Project

• Riverview East Stack Extension

• South Fort Meade – South of SR 64 Parcels

• South32 Hermosa Critical Minerals Project

• South Railroad Project

• Tonopah Flats Lithium Project

Learn more about these projects on the Federal Permitting Dashboard.