Implementation of the National Minerals and Materials Policy Needs Better Coordination and Focus

In response to a congressional request, GAO monitored and reviewed the administration's implementation of the National Materials and Minerals Policy, Research and Development Act, which was passed to: (1) coordinate and implement a coherent national materials and minerals policy and program through the Executive Office of the President and the Cabinet; (2) promote an adequate and stable supply of minerals and materials necessary to maintain national security, economic well-being, and industrial production; and (3) assign reporting requirements to several agencies.

GAO found that, while the administration has started to implement the act by establishing or proposing new working groups and reconstituting others, the new groups have not been coordinated by the Cabinet Council. Moreover, they add to the number of activities that must be coordinated and exacerbate the ad hoc coordination conditions which the act was expected to replace. In addition, important mineral- and material-related actions have been taken without the coordination required by the act. Furthermore, the Cabinet Council on Natural Resources and the Environment lacks the breadth of membership needed to address minerals and materials issues. Because the council is restricted to Cabinet members, agencies on the working group are not included. Moreover, there is no formal procedure for these sub-Cabinet agencies to bring issues to the Cabinet's attention. Although the program plan emphasized the importance of the protection of national security, it neglected to offer an approach for determining which strategic materials or minerals are most critical or how vulnerable the United States is to any supply disruptions. Finally, GAO found that an assessment of national materials needs required by the act has been given low priority and has not been prepared, a report on critical materials needs related to national security is still under review, and another required report was submitted 2 years late.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

Director: Michael Gryszkowiec Team: General Accounting Office: Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division Phone: (202) 275-5514