WASHINGTON — Ford Motor Co. is advocating for the federal government to expedite permits for critical mineral mining, according to a filing submitted to the Department of the Interior on Tuesday.
Minerals like lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite are crucial for electric vehicle batteries, the building blocks of the auto industry's electric transformation.
But the minerals are likely to be in short supply in coming years as automakers compete for a limited supply, which currently is dominated by China.
"Today's lengthy, costly and inefficient permitting process makes it difficult for American businesses to invest in the extraction and processing of critical minerals in the United States," said Chris Smith, Ford chief Government Affairs officer, in a letter to the agency.
It takes up to 10 years to complete the current permitting requirements for critical mineral mining, he said. Similar processes in Canada and Australia take two to three years "while maintaining stringent environmental standards."
The federal government should limit permitting to a similar timeline in the U.S. and expand implementation of the Defense Production Act to expedite battery mineral projects on federal lands, he said.
The recently signed Inflation Reduction Act included an additional $500 million for "enhanced use" of the DPA, including for critical mineral production.
The law also created new EV tax credits that incentivize domestic mineral production or "ally-shoring." To pass along the full $7,500 credit to consumers, automakers have to build batteries with increasing amounts of critical minerals from the United States or countries the United States has a free trade agreement with.
The company also asked the agency to fund research and mapping of critical mineral deposits in the United States, increase transparency in the permitting process and include emissions assessments in permitting evaluations.
The comment is in response to the Interior Department's request for input as it develops recommendations related to U.S. mining laws. The comment period closes Tuesday.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, an advocacy group representing most major automakers building vehicles in the United States, submitted similar comments in late July.
"As the industry transitions, the U.S. has an opportunity to take a leadership role in creating a domestic circular economy from responsible mining to processing all the way through recycling," said Dan Bowerson, senior director for Energy and Environment at the Alliance.
Proposed mineral mining projects across the United States often come in conflict with local environmental and indigenous groups, as many methods of mineral mining have posed environmental risks in the past, from acid drainage to accelerated water use and potential contamination.
