State Rep. Dick Anderson, R-Willow City. (Kyle Martin/For the North Dakota Monitor)
(North Dakota Monitor) – A bill that intends to keep North Dakota on the forefront of rare earth mineral development is on its way to the governor after lengthy debate
Rep. Dick Anderson, R-Willow City, the sponsor of House Bill 1459, said the bill is needed to position North Dakota for a facility to process rare earth minerals, which can be embedded with coal that is already slated for mining. He said there could be federal funding for such a facility.
The bill passed the House 63-26 and then the Senate 27-19.
China supplies most of the rare earth minerals needed for electronics. Scott Meyer, R-Grand Forks, supported the bill in the interest of national security and not being reliant on China.
For many opponents, a major sticking point on the bill was language that set a royalty payment for mineral rights owners at 2.5% on the rare earth minerals found within a coal seam. That would be on top of the royalty payment that had been negotiated in the coal lease.
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