Rep. Russ Fulcher on Restoring US Antimony Production and Permitting Reform

Historical Context of Antimony Production in Idaho

• 💡 The Stidnite mining district in Idaho was active from 1914-1918, extracting antimony and tungsten critical for World War I munitions.
• 🎯 During World War II, Stidnite was the largest domestic supplier, providing 90% of the antimony used in the US war effort.
• 📉 Post-war demand declined, leading to the cessation of domestic antimony mining.

Reestablishing Domestic Antimony Supply

• 🚀 The Stidnite gold project in Idaho aims to reestablish domestic antimony production.
• 📈 Once operational, it's projected to supply up to 35% of US antimony demand for the first six years, enhancing national security.
• ⚠️ China's ban on exports of critical minerals like antimony, gallium, and germanium intensified the urgency for domestic supply restoration.
• 🔒 Antimony trisulfide from Stibnite is the only known domestic source capable of meeting the US Department of Defense needs for munitions and missiles.

Permitting Process and Lessons Learned

• 📌 The Stimnite gold project, operated by Perpetua, was designated a priority project by the Trump administration in April 2025.
• ✅ The project received its final federal authorization (Section 404 Clean Water Act permit) on May 19th, after entering the formal federal permitting process in 2016.
• ⏳ The permitting process took approximately 18 years, with significant investment by Perpetua.
• 💰 A key lesson is the importance of byproduct material, as antimony will be a byproduct of gold production; without economic gold mining, antimony would not be mined.
• ⚖️ The need for litigation reform is highlighted, as the project is facing litigation that could be addressed by Congress through the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act.
• 🤝 The project is supported by private capital, unlike mining efforts in other countries.
• ♻️ Perpetua is credited with cleaning up old mine tailings and sites, improving environmental outcomes and hydrological resources, leaving the land better than they found it.