Nitrogen, methane, helium, water, carbon-oxygen compounds and hydrogen produced from mining, could permit food growth and development of a water supply for lunar inhabitants.

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McEwen Mining is also in the permit process for its Gold Bar project in Nevada, hoping to begin construction in 2014.

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Pacific Rim acquired a firm that already had an exploration permit, a sort of phase-one permit in the mining world that allows companies to explore an area and determine whether mining would make sense there.

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The Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates mining in the state, gave UEC the permit to do exploratory drilling at Goliad.

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