EMIP

Introduction

North America's essential minerals industry is at an inflection point. Reshoring, reindustrialization, and population growth are driving unprecedented demand for continental mineral production. The industry can meet this moment by integrating environmental stewardship with economic opportunity from mine to market—making efficiency and sustainability a competitive advantage. This requires whole systems planning: full lifecycle accounting of environmental and economic impacts, and transportation infrastructure that leverages rail's efficiency for heavy mineral movements.

RE-STEM Stakeholders

Collaboration among stakeholders is fundamental to advancing economically and environmentally sustainable and practical growth opportunities for:

• Essential mineral companies;
• Mineral-related companies;
• Rail, truck, barge, and ocean carriers, and;
• The industries and communities they serve.

IntelliConference Series

RE-STEM IntelliConference Series begin with the most important dialogues for advancing North America’s essential mineral supply chains. The IntelliConferences have been conceived with the input of key essential mineral stakeholders.

Which minerals can all stakeholder groups align on as"essential" and at what volumes?

Background Statement:

The essential minerals industry in North America is at an inflection point. Re-shoring, re-industrialization, and population growth provide a timely opportunity to expand continental mineral mining and production. The industry can serve these developments and reap economic rewards by integrating environmental stewardship with industrial progress, setting a new standard that meets market demands while preserving the planet for future generations. The path to success can be advanced collaboratively with relevant stakeholders by embracing whole systems planning, full lifecycle accounting, and multi-modal transportation that optimizes the use of railroads.

Core Question:

[In progress]

Questions

• What factors do we apply to determining which minerals are “essential?”
• What factors do we apply to determine how much of each mineral we need and want?
• What volumes of mineral supply are needed to support the clean energy transition?
• How does an intelligently redesigned future for North America, including reshoring and reindustrialization, point to needed essential minerals?
• What are the current volumes of each essential mineral supply?
• What are the current locations of each essential mineral supply?
• Where do we need additional essential minerals and at what volumes?

How do we ensure sustainable mineral production and consumption?

Background:

[In Progress]

Core Question:

[In Progress]

Questions:

• What environmental concerns do we want to address in how minerals are mined?
• What environmental concerns do we want to address in how minerals are processed?
• What environmental concerns do we want to address in how minerals are used and recycled?
• How do we best assess the environmental impacts of each step in each mineral's supply chain?
• What are the opportunities for more sustainable production of each essential mineral?
• What factors have to be addressed for mineral companies to use "Best Available Technology" throughout the life of the mine?
• Which minerals have been determined to have a limited supply globally and therefore need to be conserved or addressed in some way?
• When harmful environmental impacts are deemed unavoidable for a supply chain activity, how do we mitigate them?
• Which minerals are candidates for logical reduction due to the level of environmental harm caused by their production or consumption?
• What has to happen to accommodate reducing the consumption of individual minerals when deemed necessary?

How do we best serve communities?

Background Statement

Existing forums and methods for stakeholder engagement rely on competitive debate at best, creating barriers to honest communication and consensus-building. Previously, rational idea generation and problem-solving concerning mineral production, use, and logistics has been almost impossible. A new way for stakeholders to engage is needed.

Core Question

What optimal volumes, locations, and design elements of essential mineral mining and processing can industry and community stakeholders, including company management, association leaders, unions, environmental organizations, and community advocacy groups agree on for economic sustainability?

Questions

• What community concerns must be effectively addressed?
• How can potential health risks to communities be mitigated?
• What steps can be taken to minimize or eliminate aesthetic degradation?
• How can communities maintain their sense of "place attachment?"
• What approaches enable citizens to accurately assess risk?
• How can mining companies relate productively with communities and community leaders?
  • How can mineral companies increase openness and transparency?
  • What strategies promote the acceptance of new mines?
  • What steps must be taken to communicate anticipated environmental impacts with transparency and trust?
  • How can mining companies and community leaders agree on development implications and responsibilities?
  • How can mining companies and community leaders develop a "Community Benefits Agreement?"
  • What decision-making protocols have been used effectively?
• What steps can mitigate citizens' concerns around mine and facility closures?

How do we design sustainable logistics?

Background:

[In Progress]

Core Question:

[In Progress]

Questions

• What volume and location data on the relevant mineral production is available and helpful to our thinking?
• What volume and location data on the relevant mineral consumption is available and helpful to our thinking?
• What level of GIS mapping of the facilities and data would be helpful?
• What are the volumes and locations of each essential mineral supply chain component for production, processing, and consumption?
• What volumes of these minerals are moved by rail?
• What share of minerals transportation is moved by truck versus rail?
• What logistics services are provided to the components of the essential minerals supply chains?
  • What are the gaps and shortcomings of these services?
• What concerns for the transportation of minerals, ores, and products must be addressed?
• For which minerals are we aiming to improve logistics?
• What new mining, production, and processing locations are in construction or on the drawing board?
• What role can location play, both of individual mines and facilities, and their relation to each other, in creating efficient mineral supply chains?
• What areas of the market for sourcing or distributing minerals are challenging to access due to logistics dynamics?
• What industrial growth opportunities from re-shoring and reindustrialization need specific transportation improvements?
• What market expansion opportunities would benefit from logistics improvements?
• Which import opportunities need new logistics approaches?
• Which export opportunities need new logistics approaches?
• How can we address the needed transportation logistics improvements?

What regulations support these goals?

Background Statement

Regulations and permitting processes evolve over time among public- and private-sector actors without important levels of trust, free-flowing engagement, and common sense. Consequently, both public interests and private sector progress are handicapped. A new approach for updating the regulatory and planning framework for the essential minerals supply chain is needed.

Core Question

What regulations can stakeholders agree on that are either outdated, de minimis, redundant, or counterproductive, and can be improved, replaced, or eliminated in support of the growth and safety of essential mineral production and delivery?

Questions

• Which federal laws regulate mining?
• Which federal agencies might be enrolled in participating and supporting this initiative?
• Which state and local agencies might be enrolled in participating and supporting this initiative?
• What are the concerns of the government agencies that interact with the mineral industry?
• What policy and regulatory issues are essential mineral companies concerned with?
• What policy solutions will support the development of increased processing capacity?
• What behaviors by mineral companies do government agencies want to see improved?
• What antitrust and other laws and regulations must be amended to accommodate more robust collaboration with and among the private sector?
• What regulations on essential mineral supply chain activities must be improved or eliminated?
• How can government agencies improve mining permitting inefficiencies?

Investment Opportunities and Capital

Background:

[In Progress]

Core Question:

[In Progress]

Questions

• How do Wall Street and private equity investors view the mineral industry?
• What commercial and economic development opportunities are stimulated by this redesigned future?
• What opportunities for expanded new investment does this redesign generate?
• What opportunities for enhanced capitalization might be opened by this initiative?
• What goals, measures, and structures are needed to support the capitalization of these opportunities?