Photo: Jael Holzman/Axios
Katie Sweeney, executive vice president of the National Mining Association, is one of Washington's women to watch for minerals policy expertise.
Why it matters: In a male-dominated industry, Sweeney has forged her way over decades through a drive to once again make the U.S. a sought-after destination for mining.
Sweeney talked shop with Axios this summer while visiting the National Museum of Natural History's minerals exhibit.
She sounded off: "I would like to see the approval of one major mining project of any kind."
- Sweeney bristled because she says while one copper mine in Arizona has gotten some beneficial treatment, the Biden administration largely has won headlines on mining for standing in the way of big projects like Twin Metals in Minnesota and the Pebble Mine in Alaska.
- "They can say all these great things about needing mining and get some kudos from people who are surprised by the fact they would even do that," she said. "But if you still can't get anything out of the ground here, are we advancing the solution?"
Context: Mine permitting has lagged for years, even before the Biden administration.
- There are lots of reasons, from genuine difficulties meeting environmental standards to administrative delays and changes in designs.
- To its credit, the administration recently cleared an environmental impact statement for a large vanadium mine in Nevada and put one copper mine in Arizona onto a permit tracking dashboard.
- It's also funded a number of mining companies seeking to one day build a mine in the U.S., like nickel miner Talon Metals.
Sweeney hopes a future permitting deal changes the time frame available for litigation challenges. To her, that would be a real mining win.
- She sees Canada — a popular place for new mines — as proof it can be done well.
- "I know as a society we're probably more litigious than the Canadians," she said. "They tend to have that litigation done by the time the project is being approved."
