Sustainable Mining Challenges: Alaska Water Permitting and the United States Green Energy Transition

• Main Author: Pettit, Morgan
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Duke University School of Law 2024
• Subjects: Law; Alaska law review; Alaska
• Online Access: https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/alr/vol40/iss2/4; https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/context/alr/article/1649/viewcontent/note3.pdf

This Note addresses the myriad of legal and regulatory barriers new mining projects face in Alaska at present. These barriers have become increasingly important at a time when the United States has sought to bolster its domestic mineral supply chain. With over 100 newly located critical mineral deposits, Alaska may be the best place in the United States to establish further domestic sources of critical minerals. By streamlining the regulatory process at both the federal and state level, Alaska can better (1) protect domestic supply chains from global disruptions; (2) maximize the economic benefits of meeting increased global demand for these minerals; (3) contribute to a global energy transition towards clean and renewable energy sources; and (4) balance important local environmental policy concerns against global policies addressing climate change. This Note provides an overview of the regulatory landscape at present and outlines proposed reforms for the future.