Saying it puts the Pentagon “one step closer to establishing a complete domestic supply chain,” Maj. Gen. John T. Reim, Joint Program Executive Officer Armaments & Ammunition and Picatinny Arsenal Commanding General hailed the reopening of the Stibnite Mine operated by Perpetua Resources in Idaho on Friday, September 19. Maj. Gen. Reim spoke to an audience of local, state, and company officials who had gathered for a ribbon cutting ceremony at the mine’s site in Central Idaho.
“After 8 years of extensive permitting review and over $400 million invested, it is finally time for the Stibnite Gold Project to deliver for America,” said Jon Cherry, President & CEO of Perpetua Resources. “A united vision to produce critical resources urgently needed for national security and to restore an abandoned site, along with the feedback from our communities, have guided us to this monumental milestone.”
Antimony’s Crucial Role In The Pentagon’s Weapons Systems
Though it is known to contain sizable quantities of an array of minerals, including gold and silver, the Stibnite mine’s known reserves of the critical mineral antimony is the main prize the Pentagon hopes to secure from its operations. In documents filed during its years-long permitting process with the U.S. Forest Service, Perpetua estimates the mine’s ore contains as much 4.8 million ounces of gold, 6.4 million ounces of silver, and 149 million pounds of antimony. The overall mining site covers 3,200 acres of land including 3 pit mining sites. Crucially, Perpetua estimates the Stibnite mine could enhance U.S. energy security and national security by providing up to 35% of U.S antimony needs in the coming decades.
