SCOTTSDALE , Ariz., March 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Arizona Defense and Industry Coalition (AZDIC), whose mission is to act as a united voice for Arizona's defense and industry communities, today announced the release of “America’s Broken Supply Chain,” a white paper examining today’s critical mineral supply chain landscape. The white paper identifies solutions for the US to improve its domestic mineral production processes through increased collaboration between the US government, defense, mining and clean energy industries.
The US is making significant strides to bring manufacturing production onshore, improve critical infrastructure, and curb inflation through investments in domestic energy production with recent initiatives like the US CHIPS & Science Act, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and Inflation Reduction Act. However, current US infrastructure and policy surrounding critical mineral extraction and processing hinders the nation’s ability to execute this well-intentioned legislation.
Currently, the US remains heavily dependent on China and Russia for nearly 90% of rare earth elements (REEs) required for everything from computers to electric vehicles (EVs), storage batteries for the national energy grid, fighter jets and all major weapons platforms. These dependencies put the future of the US economy, clean energy, and national defense at stake.
The white paper working group, assembled by Arizona Senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema, including AZDIC, the Nature Conservancy, RioTinto and Kore Power, held a roundtable event on January 25 in Washington, DC to evaluate the white paper findings and facilitate an open discussion on how the US can bring critical mineral production onshore.
“We urgently need to reform our critical mineral supply chain to meet our national security, economic, and energy independence goals,” said Arizona Senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema. “Congress must act quickly to support American production of critical minerals and end our reliance on foreign adversaries to remain strong, competitive, and secure. Arizona is leading the way in finding common sense solutions to bring back production in a responsible manner.”
“We are proud to assemble key stakeholders in the defense, environmental and mining industries that don’t typically sit at the table together,” said Lynndy Smith, President of AZDIC. “Continued collaboration amongst these groups will be crucial to identifying ways to improve US critical mineral production and spark actionable change to help us meet our clean energy goals and defend our nation.”
The white paper and roundtable event are initial stepping stones for AZDIC’s larger supply chain initiative; the coalition will conduct a 2023 national road trip facilitating discussions with like-minded groups to find solutions for more efficient, cost-effective and environmentally-friendly critical mineral processes.
AZDIC encourages interested US defense, mining, and environmental groups to get involved; contact Lynndy Smith at LS@joinGDIC.org to join the conversation.
Read the full white paper and learn how the US can improve its domestic critical mineral supply chain at defensecoalitions.org.
About Arizona Defense and Industry Coalition (AZDIC)
The Arizona Defense and Industry Coalition (AZDIC) is a coalition of regional organizations inspired by Senator McCain, comprising the defense and mining industries, military, veterans and more, to act as a united voice and advocate for regional and national security efforts. Founding members include West Valley Defense Alliance (WVDA), Mesa Industry & Defense Council (MIDC), Southern Arizona Defense Alliance (SADA) and Yuma 50. Together, these groups work closely to foster innovation and advocate for those providing critical resources and services to the US national security efforts. AZDIC's mission is to unify the AZ defense industry and its stakeholders to help secure both AZ regional and national security through better communication and policy reform. For more information on AZDIC, email Lynndy Smith at LS@joinGDIC.org.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0b07216e-45ff-474d-ba77-0ef2cf9d2e37
