ELK CREEK, Neb. — America is digging its way to independence. Rapid Response 47 on Saturday spotlighted the NioCorp critical minerals project in Johnson County, Nebraska, with a simple message: “This is huge — American critical mineral independence!”
Standing at the mine site, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen laid out the stakes. “Under our feet here in Elk Creek, Nebraska, this is a $2 billion investment to make sure that we are no longer dependent on our foreign adversary China,” he said. “This is a big deal for Johnson County, it’s a big deal for Nebraska, but it’s gigantic for the United States of America.”
On Wednesday, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Export-Import Bank Chairman John Jovanovic toured the site with Gov. Pillen, Sens. Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts and Rep. Adrian Smith. Jovanovic signed a letter of support. EXIM’s target is to provide debt financing equal to about 65% of the project’s upfront costs, once its due-diligence review is complete. “This is our national security that rests on what’s underground right here,” Wright said. “We actually have to act.”
The Elk Creek mine is set to produce niobium, scandium, titanium and several magnetic rare earth elements. These minerals go into magnets, aircraft, cars, energy and defense. Right now, America is 100% net import-reliant for several of them. “President Trump has made this a top priority,” Gov. Pillen said, adding that Elk Creek will help fill the gap in the nation’s supply chain while providing careers to hundreds of people.
For years, Washington talked about breaking China’s grip on critical minerals. The Trump administration is doing it, starting with American ground, American workers and American financing. Watch Gov. Pillen at the mine site in the video above.
