U.S. Government Looks To Wenden, Arizona National Defense Stockpile To Help End Reliance On China For Critical Minerals

SURREY, BC - American Manganese Inc. recently awarded grant to American Manganese from the United States Defense Logistics Agency (DLA).

Shortly after DLA selected American Manganese Inc. for a grant to demonstrate the Company's ability to process Electrolytic Manganese Metal from low-grade Wenden Stockpile feedstock, Congressman Paul Gosar (R-AZ) released a letter to U.S. Secretary of Interior David Bernhardt stating: "I am asking that you work to direct BLM [the Bureau of Land Management] to be prepared to work with DLA/NDS [National Defense Stockpile] in finding a path forward for the potential siting an advanced manganese material processing facility at Wenden. This facility could allow an economical approach that produced a desired environmental outcome, while providing a needed national security material and jump-starting manganese production in the US which ceased in 1973… This would open the prospect of: Using the low-grade Wenden stockpile as feedstock for US-produced EMM [Electrolytic Manganese Metal]; Producing a reliable source of EMM for both DLA/National Defense Stockpile - and commercial technology markets; Ending US 100% manganese import-dependency; and Reducing reliance on China in the advanced manganese supply chain… With an EMM processing plant at the Wenden Stockpile site, progressive reclamation/clean-up of the Wenden site would take place, in the context of an ongoing advanced material production facility."

American Manganese Inc. is a critical metals company focused on recycling of lithium-ion batteries (RecycLiCo™) and the production of electrolytic manganese metal from low grade U.S. resources. The recycling process provides high extraction of cathode metals, such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, and aluminum at high purity, with minimal processing steps. American Manganese Inc. aims to commercialize its breakthrough RecycLiCo™ patented process and become an industry leader in recycling cathode materials from spent lithium-ion batteries.