Steven M Fortier
Science and Products
Methodology and technical input for the 2021 review and revision of the U.S. Critical Minerals List
Pursuant to Section 7002 (“Mineral Security”) of Title VII (“Critical Minerals”) of the Energy Act of 2020 (Public Law 116–260, December 27, 2020, 116th Cong.), the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey, is tasked with reviewing and revising the methodology used to evaluate mineral criticality and the...
Nassar, Nedal T.; Fortier, Steven M.
USGS 2020 critical minerals review
Concerns about the lack of domestic production and availability of essential mineral raw materials were a recurring theme throughout the 20th century, particularly in the periods around armed conflicts (Congressional Research Service, 2019). These concerns resulted in the designation of particular minerals as “strategic” or “critical,” terms that...
Fortier, Steven M.; Nassar, Nedal T.; Kelley, Karen D.; Lederer, Graham W.; Mauk, Jeffrey L.; Hammarstrom, Jane M.; Day, Warren C.; Seal, Robert R. U.S. mineral supply chain security in the age of pandemics and trade wars
Modern technology makes use of numerous mineral commodities whose production is concentrated in a few countries. New research identifies the commodities whose supply disruption poses the greatest risk to the manufacturing sector. While the analysis is applied to the U.S. manufacturing sector, the principles are equally applicable to other...
Nassar, Nedal; Fortier, Steven M. Evaluating the mineral commodity supply risk of the U.S. manufacturing sector
Trade tensions, resource nationalism, and various other factors are increasing concerns regarding the supply reliability of nonfuel mineral commodities. This is especially the case for commodities required for new and emerging technologies ranging from electric vehicles to wind turbines. In this analysis, we utilize a conventional risk-modeling...
Nassar, Nedal T.; Brainard, Jamie ; Gulley, Andrew L.; Manley, Ross; Matos, Grecia R.; Lederer, Graham W.; Bird, Laurence; Pineault, David G.; Alonso, Elisa; Gambogi, Joseph; Fortier, Steven M. USGS critical minerals review
The United States’ supply of critical minerals has been a concern and a source of potential strategic vulnerabilities for U.S. economic and national security interests for decades (for example, see Strategic and Critical Minerals Stockpiling Act, 1939). More recently, with the rapid increase in the types of materials being used in advanced...
Fortier, Steven M.; Hammarstrom, Jane M.; Ryker, Sarah J.; Day, Warren C.; Seal, Robert R. USGS critical minerals review
The United States’ supply of critical minerals has been a concern and a source of potential strategic vulnerabilities for U.S. economic and national security interests for decades (for example, see Strategic and Critical Minerals Stockpiling Act, 1939). More recently, with the rapid increase in the types of materials being used in advanced...
Fortier, Steven M.; Hammarstrom, Jane M.; Ryker, Sarah J.; Day, Warren C.; Seal, Robert R. North American net import reliance of mineral materials in 2014 for advanced technologies
The U.S. Geological Survey and Natural Resources Canada conducted a study on the net import reliance of each North American country, and the impact of North American trade on the net import reliance of 12 nonfuel mineral commodities that are associated with advanced technology products: cadmium, cobalt, gallium, germanium, graphite, indium,...
Brainard, Jaime L.; Sinclair, Robert G; Stone, Kevin; Scott Sangine, Elizabeth; Fortier, Steven M.
Draft critical mineral list—Summary of methodology and background information—U.S. Geological Survey technical input document in response to Secretarial Order No. 3359
Pursuant to the Presidential Executive Order (EO) No. 13817, “A Federal Strategy to Ensure Secure and Reliable Supplies of Critical Minerals,” the Secretary of the Interior, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, and in consultation with the heads of other relevant executive departments and agencies, was tasked with developing and...
Fortier, Steven M.; Nassar, Nedal T.; Lederer, Graham W.; Brainard, Jamie ; Gambogi, Joseph; McCullough, Erin A. Global trends in mineral commodities for advanced technologies
The U.S. Geological Survey National Minerals Information Center (NMIC) is the U.S. Government agency tasked with the collection, analysis, and dissemination of information on the production, consumption, import, export, and other measures of the flows of non-fuel mineral commodities of importance to the U.S. economy and national security. The NMIC...
Fortier, Steven M.; Thomas, Christine Lyn; McCullough, Erin A.; Tolcin, Amy
U.S. Mines Produced an Estimated $75.2 Billion in Minerals During 2017
U.S. mines produced an estimated $75.2 billion of raw mineral materials in 2017 – a 6 percent increase over 2016 – the U.S. Geological Survey announced Wednesday, January 31, in its annual Mineral Commodity Summaries.
US Mines Produced an Estimated $74.6 Billion in Minerals during 2016
United States mines in 2016 produced an estimated $74.6 billion of raw mineral materials, a slight increase from 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey announced today.
Value of U.S. Mineral Production Decreased in 2015 with Lower Metal Prices
In 2015, United States mines produced an estimated $78.3 billion of mineral raw materials—down 3percent from $80.8 billion in 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey announced today in its Mineral Commodity Summaries 2016.
U.S. Reliance on Nonfuel Mineral Imports Increasing
Key nonfuel mineral commodities that support the U.S. economy and national security are increasingly being sourced from outside the U.S., according to a new U.S. Geological Survey publication.
USGS Reports Large Shifts in Global Primary Tantalum Mining from 2000 to 2014
Reston, VA— The United States is completely reliant on imports of tantalum, which is a commonly used element in electronics, to meet its domestic consumption for economic and national security needs. A new U.S. Geological Survey report illustrates the dramatic change of the international sources of primary mined tantalum over the past 15 years.
Quick-Action Helps Maintain Key Mining Industries during Ebola Outbreak
The important mining industries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone were able to largely maintain their operations during the deadly 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak, according to a new report by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Updated Information on Cuba Mineral and Petroleum Resources Released
Cuba is among the top 10 producers of cobalt and nickel and has significant other mineral and petroleum resources, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey publication.
Value of U.S. Mineral Production Increases Despite Lower Metal Prices
The estimated value of mineral production increased in the United States in 2014, despite the decline in price for most precious metals, the U.S. Geological Survey announced today in its Mineral Commodity Summaries 2015.