Over objections from GOP lawmakers, the Department of the Interior has published a finalized critical mineral list that omits helium, uranium, potash, and other minerals that were on the original 2018 list, which was published in response to then-President Trump’s 2017 executive order. The Department had solicited comments on its draft list, released in November 2021. “The Administration will direct agencies to prioritize the production and processing of minerals necessary to produce key products like batteries, semiconductors, and permanent magnets, consistent with our strong environmental, social and labor principles,” wrote the White House in a press release on the updated list. Biden’s Interior adhered to the definition of “critical mineral” in the 2020 Energy Act, which does not include what that Act describes as “fuel minerals.” The published methodology for the new list notes that uranium was “explicitly excluded from analysis.” “The Energy Act excludes “fuel minerals” from the definition …