Biden could invoke Defense Production Act for critical minerals as soon as this week
CNN
President Joe Biden may invoke the Defense Production Act as soon as this week to spur domestic production of critical minerals needed to manufacture batteries for electric vehicles and long-term storage, according to a source familiar with the discussions.
Doing so would add critical minerals such as lithium, nickel, graphite, cobalt and manganese to the list of items covered by the 1950 Defense Production Act, a law enacted amid the Korean War that allows the president to use emergency authority to make large orders of a certain type of product or expand productive capacity and supply.
The White House will work closely with the departments of Energy and the Interior to implement the presidential determination under the Defense Production Act, the source said, adding that a presidential determination signed by Biden would "in no way" bypass or supersede permitting or environmental review processes for mining these minerals.
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