Having read Senator Lisa Murkowski’s article in the Capital Hill Newspaper “Roll Call”…..
Murkowski: Increase Domestic Production of Rare Earth Minerals
By Sen. Lisa Murkowski Special to Roll Call
Oct. 19, 2009, 12 a.m
http://www.rollcall.com/features/Policy-Briefing_Energy-2009/energy_environment/39554-1.html?typeequalsprinter_friendly

I would like to bring to your attention a much more pressing issue with regard to “Streategic & Critical Metals” category for the the United States industrial base as well as the Military Defense Industry.
I will be brief in this presentation.

*The US “National Research Council of The Acadamies“ lists these
Minerals as Strategic Metals. Gallium, Indium, Lithium, Manganese,
Niobium, Tantalum, Titanium, & Vanadium.

“Quote“- from words of Brian Gilbertson who is the CEO of
Manganese miner Pallinghurst and former CEO of BHP Billiton.

“YOU CAN`T MAKE STEEL WITHOUT MANGANESE AND
IF YOU CAN`T MAKE STEEL THE WORLD STOPS“ (end quote)

Points to consider with regards to Manganese use and production
in N America`s Steel Industry.

-Manganese has NO substitutions in all Steel production and besides
being imperative to all Steel production it is highly strategic to the
Military Defense Industry.

-The US Government has sold off almost all of it`s strategic stockpiles of
Manganese over the last few years.

-China supplies just over 97% of World`s Electrolytic Manganese
Metal. (EMM)

-China`s taxes it`s exports of all Manganese by 20%.

-US adds another 14% Import Tax.

-S Africa, the only free world suppier of Manganese is facing production
cuts due to high electrical costs, power shortages, high transport costs
and lack of infrastructure.

-Iron & Steel production uses 10 to 20 lbs of Managanese per Tonne
of Steel.

-Manganese is the 4th largest traded metal commodity worldwide.
Approximately 30 B lbs per year.

-Mn demand growing by 8% per year, Electrolytic Manganese by 26%
per year for last 5 years. (EMM demand currently at 2.6 B lbs per year,
up from 660 M lbs in 2002)

-Most important is the fact that -There is virtually No “Domestic“ N.
American Manganese production currently and thus the US and
Canada are at the mercy of out of country supplies of the most critical
of metals to our infrastructure and industrial base.

-Chinese and S African Manganese shipments also subject to Trans
Oceanic shipping costs for N American Steel Co`s.

-There is a Jr Miner active with an advanced Manganese project at
Artillery Peak Arizona with over 10 B lbs of Manganese, Indicated &
Inferred (NI-43-101) getting little to no recognition and it appears
they can produce Manganese at about one half the cost of China`s
production. (Rocher Deboule Minerals Corp.) http://www.rdminerals.ca/
They control the Artillery Peak Arizona project which is the largest
known low grade Manganese deposit in the USA.

In closing, having done much personal research, and having read & written
numerous editorials on Manganese over the last two years, most
recently in March 2009 posted on Kitco`s Base Metals, titled
USA`s Number One Strategic Metal-Manganese,
http://www.kitco.com/ind/Reser/mar312009.html I do feel qualified to speak
to this topic, and to myself it appears N America and in particular the FACT
that the USA`s Steel Industry is or could at any given time, be at the total mercy
of out of country supplies of the most critical of metals, Manganese.

Thank you for your time in this matter:

Best Regards: Ken Reser

Contact:
Ken Reser
Office Ph: 403-844-2914
Cell: 403-846-9770
Email: ykgold@telus.net