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| DATE:
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2/18/2014 7:00:00 PM |
| SUBJECT: |
| Council Consideration of a Resolution in Support of the Bear Lodge Project. |
| BACKGROUND: |
| A resolution has been prepared to express Gillette's support of the mining project being developed in Crook County known as the Bear lodge Project. This project will include the Bull Hill Mine and a hydrometallurgy plant near Upton. The overall purpose of this project is to mine and refine rare earth elements which are used in computers and cell phones and are mostly imported from China. The company developing this project, Rare Earth Elements, plans to create approximately 225 jobs in Crook and Weston Counties, and during operations will produce 159 highly skilled jobs as the first producer of critical rare earth elements outside of China. This Resolution is a general show of support and specifically is intended to encourage the various Federal agencies who are reviewing this project to accelerate and streamline the activities they are required to perform under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The mining portion of this project is upon Federal land in the Bear Lodge National Forest which triggers review under NEPA. Once that review is over and the project is allowed to advance it will be subject to Industrial Siting review under Wyoming Statutes. |
| SUGGESTED MOTION: |
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I move for the Approval of a Resolution in Support of the Bear Lodge Project.
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| STAFF REFERENCE: |
| Charlie Anderson, City Attorney |
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