Governor Gordon Signs Bill to Help Advance Rare Earth Elements Mining in Wyoming

Governor Mark Gordon signed a bill to advance Wyoming’s leadership on developing rare earth and critical minerals and  also took action on 25 other bills Tuesday.  At a ceremony in the Capitol the Governor signed into law a bill  giving Wyoming primacy to permit and regulate parts of the rare earth and critical minerals industry. House Bill 0061 amends the existing Agreement State Status with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to allow Wyoming the permitting and regulatory authority for rare earth elements source materials. The Legislature passed this bill with unanimous support and the Governor signed both HB 0061 and sent a letter to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Gordon also signed HB 0018 – Missing persons alert systems. Sponsored by the Select Committee on Tribal Relations, the bill aids in the administrative establishment of a new Ashanti Alert. The alert will function similarly to an Amber alert, sending out rapid notifications to cell phones and other media regarding missing adults. Local law enforcement can request these alerts, which will be initiated statewide by the Wyoming Highway Patrol upon meeting specific alert criteria. The legislation came from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Task Force the Governor established.

The Governor used his veto authority on HB 0106 – Eminent domain wind energy collector systems. Gordon said that the bill’s nine-year moratorium on the use of eminent domain is likely to stall development in Wyoming. Previously the moratorium had only been in place for two years at a time. He also expressed concern that the bill would interfere with the rights of private landowners to exercise their private property and contractual rights, as well as their right to contract with whomever they choose.