U.S. Government Designates ABR Boron Fort Cady Facility as Critical Infrastructure

Location of the Fort Cady and Salt Wells Projects in the USA

ASX Announcement released Monday 7th February, 2022 - American Pacific Borates (ABR) Fort Cady boron facility is designated by USA as critical infrastructure.

American Pacific Borates (ABR:ASX:ABR)

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, February 8, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- HIGHLIGHTS

• ABR’s Fort Cady Integrated Boron Facility designated as Critical Infrastructure by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
• Critical status confirms Fort Cady is in the interest of national security with letters of

support from members of the U.S. Congress and California State Legislature
• Designation validates Fort Cady’s role in providing a new, critical, domestic source of boron amidst a challenged global supply chain

American Pacific Borates Limited (ASX:ABR) (ABR or the Company) is pleased to announce that its wholly owned Fort Cady Integrated Boron Facility (Fort Cady) has been designated as Critical Infrastructure by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) with letters of support from members of the U.S. Congress and California State Legislature.

CISA, as a U.S. federal agency and operational component under the Department of Homeland Security, is tasked with understanding, managing, and reducing risk to the nation’s cyber and physical infrastructure. In this function, CISA, in cooperation with other government and industry partners, is responsible for protecting and strengthening the nation’s Critical Infrastructure against current and future threats in the interest of national security, including supply chains of strategic and critical materials and their respective projects.

Fort Cady’s designation by CISA as U.S. Critical Infrastructure represents a key milestone for ABR since the U.S. government recognizes Fort Cady’s significance and supports its objective to provide a new, critical, and domestic source of boron amidst a challenged global supply chain.

In petition for ABR’s Critical Infrastructure designation to CISA, U.S. House of Representatives (CA-08) and U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources member, Jay Obernolte, wrote: “Currently, the U.S. accounts for only 20 percent of the global Borate supply, despite the advanced and emerging uses
of Boron that are critical to U.S. national and economic security.

Traditional uses of Boron extend to more than 300 commercial and household products, while advanced uses in military vehicles and body armor, permanent magnets, semi-conductors, wind turbines, nuclear reactors, and pharmaceuticals have compelled greater interest and demand among our global competitors. These newer applications, coupled with the predominant foreign ownership and control of the Boron supply chain, demonstrate the national significance and urgency in resolving this vulnerability.”

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has been at the forefront of identifying supply chain risks and exposures, prompting wider considerations of critical infrastructure and essential workers. In this regard, we respectfully ask that CISA, consistent with its authorities and issued guidance, consider reaffirming the alignment of the Fort Cady project facility as a component of U.S. critical infrastructure.”
Commenting on ABR’s Critical Infrastructure designation, ABR CEO, Henri Tausch, said: “We are pleased to have the support of the U.S. government in developing our Fort Cady Integrated Boron Facility.

CISA’s Critical Infrastructure designation validates the scarcity of new reliable sources of boron and its criticality in high end use applications.
The world is at an inflection point to secure supply chains of critical future facing and decarbonization materials and we look forward to pursuing our objective of becoming a leader in one of these key materials – boron."