Trump taps loan programme he tried kill to help mineral mining

The Trump administration is tapping an Energy Department clean-energy loan program it tried to kill to help uranium producers, as well as miners of other minerals deemed critical by the administration.

The Energy Department announced Tuesday that it will issue guidance giving preference to projects involving critical minerals within an existing loan program housed within the agency that provides both direct loans as well as loan guarantees.

Other minerals that have been deemed “critical to US national security and the economy” include lithium, chromium, cobalt, helium, vanadium, according to a list maintained by the Interior Department.