North Dakota’s new critical minerals law accidentally included two fake minerals called friezium and stralium. They appear to reference two coal industry attorneys involved in the bill, though they deny adding them. The error slipped in during the rushed final hours of the legislative session.
State officials say the mistake is embarrassing and could make North Dakota look careless as it tries to lead in critical mineral development. Lawmakers are unsure who inserted the fake names, and the incident has raised questions about how such an oversight made it into law.
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