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1) BHP will start recruiting about 600 people in 2023, with large portions coming from the local community, to operate the world's largest potash mine Saskatchewan, Canada. Jensen is a $7.5-billion project located about 90 miles east of Saskatoon which will be the world's largest potash mine once completed. It will have a peak workforce of 2,500 in 2023 and by the end of the year BHP has hopes to have poured concrete foundations for the mill, as well as started to erect steel structures. Rag Udd, BHP's president of minerals for the Americas, said: "we want the workforce to reflect society as a whole. We're aspiring for gender balance and a representative Indigenous workforce of about 20% as well." In addition to a more representative workforce, BHP also said that Jensen will have net-zero emissions. It will be an underground mine that will be relying on battery electric mining vehicles for 80% of its fleet, eventually ramping up to 100%. Jensen is expected to produce 4.35 million tons of potash per year and has potential for expansion.
2) A recent report from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy suggests that policy makers in the US need to start focusing on reducing the country's dependence on rare earth minerals from China. The reports notes that the China Rare Earth Group, a merger of three of China's state-owned enterprises, controls up to 25% of global mineral-bearing rare-earth elements. The merger, along with the overall dominance of the rare earth global market, gives the Chinese complete control, power and influence over the world's supply. China has weaponized this monopoly over Japan before and doing so when it comes to direct conflicts with the US is not out of the question. Although this is a no brainer, the decision to stop relying of foreign hostile powers for key minerals in our supply chain, convincing the public to support a more aggressive policy on mining, is another challenge that the industry has been battling for decades.