Interior Department adds coal and copper to critical mineral list in bid to boost production

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The Department of the Interior has expanded its list of critical minerals to include copper, coal, and other resources, meaning they will be eligible for funding and streamlined permitting.

The move is part of the Trump administration’s increasingly aggressive efforts to boost domestic production of minerals needed for national security and industrial purposes. The inclusion of coal, however, is likely to spark backlash from environmentalists, who want to see it kept in the ground.

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