Three New U.S. Critical Mineral Projects Gain FAST-41 Status, Accelerating Transparent Permitting Under Trump Executive Order

Highlights

• The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council added three new critical mineral mining projects to the FAST-41 transparency framework.
• Projects span Wyoming, Alaska, and Missouri.
• Covers rare earth elements, battery metals, and industrial inputs crucial to U.S. energy and technology sectors.
• These additions signal a strong federal commitment to building an independent, ex-China critical mineral supply chain.

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In a strong signal of federal momentum to boost American mineral independence, the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) has added three new critical mineral mining projects to its FAST-41 transparency framework: the Sweetwater Project, Angel Island Project, and Doe Run Project.

These additions raise the total number of FAST-41 mineral projects on the Federal Permitting Dashboard to 31—all since President Donald J. Trump’s March 20, 2025 Executive Order on Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production. That order marked a sweeping directive to federal agencies to prioritize, streamline, and transparently track domestic permitting for critical mineral extraction.

“Each project added to FAST-41 gains a clear, accountable roadmap through the federal permitting process,” said Emily Domenech, Executive Director of the Permitting Council. “It means Americans are one step closer to more reliable, domestic energy and industrial supply chains.”

Under FAST-41, projects benefit from:

• Coordinated interagency permitting timelines
• Public visibility via the Federal Permitting Dashboard
• Dispute resolution mechanisms
• Senior-level oversight to prevent unnecessary delays

The Sweetwater Project (Wyoming), Angel Island Project (Alaska), and Doe Run Project (Missouri) reflect a diverse geographic and geological footprint—spanning rare earth elements, battery metals, and key industrial inputs vital to the U.S. energy transition, defense manufacturing, and advanced technologies.

Implications for the Ex-China Supply Chain

For Rare Earth Exchanges (REEx) readers and investors, this announcement reinforces Washington’s growing commitment to building an ex-China critical mineral supply chain. While the U.S. still lags behind China in scale and vertical integration, FAST-41 projects represent _real movement_—pairing regulatory certainty with investment signals.  According to REEx Co-founder and Chief Business Officer John Parkinson (opens in a new tab) “The U.S. under President Donald Trump has done more for the ex-China market in just a few months than any American leader in the past decade.”

Accelerating Permits Nationwide

As the U.S. government seeks to onshore processing, expand mining, and support magnet manufacturing, the number and pace of FAST-41 listings will serve as a barometer of seriousness.

REEx recently interviewed Executive Director Emily Domenech (opens in a new tab) and this will be posted via the REEx YouTube channel (opens in a new tab) soon.