Niocorp Developments Ltd (NB)

[The_Gman]

I don't think the public comment has started yet. I haven't seen anything posted yet for NioCorp AP756637XX on the Federal Register. Everything on the EXIM pending chart for NB looks to be still pending, including ESIA. Assuming it needs an ESIA (since it's shown on the chart), looks like that will show up with a link and then the 30 days comment can start. Then a couple/few weeks to go to the Board? Thinking mid-late February at the absolute earliest for any kind of decision? Just trying to cobble stuff together here that makes sense.

In addition to the above, for applications where EXIM Bank requires submission of an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment or comparable documentation (ESIA)4, it will post a hyperlink (if and when available) to the ESIA on EXIM's "Pending and Approved Transactions List" webpage. In addition, EXIM Bank will make a copy of the ESIA available to interested parties upon request. The ESIA will be made available upon its receipt by EXIM Bank, though in no case for fewer than 30 days prior to any Bank action with respect to financing of the application.

https://www.exim.gov/policies/exim-bank-and-environment/procedures-and-guidelines

https://www.exim.gov/policies/exim-bank-and-environment/pending-transactions
(look at ESIA column)

Official notices by EXIM are posted at FederalRegister.gov. We welcome the public's comments on these notices through Regulations.gov. This multi-agency website serves as an online clearinghouse for Federal notices and is EXIM's official online comment system. Please note that Regulations.gov may experience temporary outages from time to time. EXIM is not responsible for, and does not extend the comment periods for, such temporary outages.

https://www.exim.gov/about/official-notices-and-public-comments

I think this might be an example:

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/11/02/2023-24197/application-for-final-commitment-for-a-long-term-loan-or-financial-guarantee-in-excess-of-100

Speculation: Hoping for contracts/commitments/grants from DoD now that their budget has been signed and they have multi-year and out-year advance procurement authority. I'm guessing that would satisfy EXIM and eliminate the need for another big off-take deal.

SEC. 152. MULTIYEAR PROCUREMENT AUTHORITY FOR DOMESTICALLY
PROCESSED CRITICAL MINERALS.
(a) Authority for Multiyear Procurement.--Subject to section 3501
of title 10, United States Code, and from amounts made available by
discretionary appropriations Acts from the National Defense Stockpile
Transaction Fund (as established under section 9(a) of the Strategic
and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act (50 U.S.C. 98h(a))) after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense may enter
into one or more multiyear contracts for the procurement of critical
minerals that are processed in the United States by domestic sources.
(b) Application of Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling
Act.--A multiyear contract entered into under this section shall be
deemed to be an acquisition under the Strategic and Critical Materials
Stock Piling Act (50 U.S.C. 98 et seq.).
(c) Authority for Advance Procurement.--The Secretary of Defense
may enter into one or more contracts, beginning in fiscal year 2024,
for advance procurement associated with the domestically processed
critical minerals for which authorization to enter into a multiyear
procurement contract is provided under subsection (a).
(d) Condition for Out-year Contract Payments.--A contract entered
into under subsection (a) shall provide that any obligation of the
United States to make a payment under the contract for a fiscal year
after fiscal year 2024 is subject to the availability of appropriations
or funds for that purpose for such later fiscal year.
(e) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``critical mineral'' means a mineral determined to
be a strategic and critical material under section 3(a) of the
Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act (50 U.S.C.
98b(a)).
(2) The term ``processed'' means the processing or recycling of
a critical mineral or magnet, including the separation, reduction,
metallization, alloying, milling, pressing, strip casting, and
sintering of a critical mineral.
(3) The term ``domestic source'' has the meaning given that
term in section 702 of the Defense Production Act of 1950 (50
U.S.C. 4552).