Graphite is a mineral, it’s chemical formula is C (carbon) just as diamond is a mineral and it’s chemical formula is C. (Check it out on webmineral) A mineral in a naturally occurring, inorganic, solid, with a specific chemistry and crystal shape.
You may figure that it’s appropriate to stop the Pebble mine because you don’t have any use for gold, but the Pebble mine is more than a gold mine it is also a copper mine.