On 10/4/22 11 AM, the Wilson Center featured a discussion on mineral mining including in regard to quality assurance and security. Leading the discussion were Ms. Lauren Herger Risi, Director of Environmental Change and Security Program and Ms. Kimberly Thompson, USAID. Moderator of the panel discussion was Ms. Sharon Burke, President, Ecospherics and panelists--Ms. Aimee Boulanger, Director, Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance; Ms. Helaina Matya, Director, Office of Energy, US Dept. of State; Amayebe Dia, Mines to Market; and Christopher Smith, Chief Gov. Affairs Office, Ford Co.
Minerals such as lithium, cobalt, niobium and titanium; also, gold. Issue is in identifying a sample's type mineral and its amount. And then noting the supply chain for which it is designated; all the while assuring that the sample is in safe and secure possession and handling. To be sure, those parties interested in the mining process must be responsible financial agents to engage in the mining operations and distribution.
That is to say, these parties must be willing to work with the resource country, since there can be no mineral supply without its consent. And part of attaining the consent is knowledge that the money gained from the process will be apportioned to the mining community and its related goods and services, Mr. Dia pointed out.
Kimberly argued that the present status of auditing the items processed can yet be much improved! The object is to lessen the opportunities of corruption in mining. And in that President Biden has urged the use of sanctions--possibly, even in the mining industry, there would need to be close heed paid as to who is prohibited to obtain the stones for their use, e.g., those sanctioned countries and individuals that are not allowed to be procurers of these stones. Russia is involved in gold mining but is under US sanction, for example.
And, new processes are in the offing: Argentina is developing cathode processing techniques, one such.
The overarching concern of the participants (appeared to me) is the dominant role China already plays in this field at the moment, despite the US current interest in lithium mining and processing. Does the US want to catch up?
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