.jpeg)
1) The top boss of the proposed Pebble Mine in Alaska says the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) decision to block the project is unlawful and hurts the state. "This preemptive action against Pebble is not supported legally, technically, or environmentally," according to John Shively, CEO of Pebble. The EPA made a statement that "EPA's regulations are explicit that 404(c) actions may be initiated at any stage - including during the permit process or before an application is submitted for future projects." The project has been in purgatory for the past 15 years, as administration after administration dealt with the pros and cons of the project. The proposed Pebble Mine has one of the largest copper and gold deposits, which are critical minerals when it comes to the current administrations goals to transitioning from fossil fuels to the green energy transition and mass market adaptation of EVs.
2) The Indonesia government is considering halting the export of copper ores to encourage domestic processing as the country tries to push for industrialization, and follow a similar policy on nickel and bauxite, according to President Joko Widodo. President Wikoko said that after the nickel ore exports were banned a couple years ago, it forced the opening of processing plants in Indonesia and the value of nickel export recorded a thirtyfold increase from $1 billion to about $30 billion in 2022. "We have stopped the export of nickel ores, then we expanded the policy on bauxite, and now we are calculating a plan to stop copper exports in the near future," the President told BTV Chief Editor Apreyvita Wulansari. The World Trade Organization and the European Union challenged the restrictions on the exports of mineral ore, however President Wikoko said that foreign governments cannot dictate on how Indonesia will manage its own natural resources. "Indonesia is not a closed economy. Our door is open to investment but please set up your processing plants here and run your industry in Indonesia so that we can create as many jobs as possible," said President Wikoko. The Indonesian government is also trying to persuade Tesla to set up a facility in the country with tax incentives and its mineral wealth.