On Tuesday, the US Department of Interior published a Solicitor’s Opinion that introduced new regulations for mining sites that utilize federal lands for storing waste rock and tailings. This action has removed the last obstacle that was blocking Lithium Americas’ Thacker Pass mine project.
After conducting a review, it was determined that almost all of the mine site in Nevada had lithium present and ready to be extracted. In February, a federal judge dismissed the allegations that the project would be detrimental to the environment, but mandated that they investigate if the area of 1,300 acres, that would be used for storing rock waste, had the metal. The court approved a different order that allowed the commencement of the project.
The judge’s directive for the review is related to a different court decision which determined that mining companies may not necessarily be entitled to store waste rock on government land that is not rich in valuable minerals, possibly making the intended land use at the Thacker Pass mine more complex.
The US government discovered that out of the several mining claims at the site, only a small amount lacked lithium minerals. A representative from the Interior Department informed Reuters that Lithium Americas will be able to start building and production despite not having these claims in their strategy.
Jon Evans, the CEO of Lithium Americas, declared to Reuters that they are devoted to executing the project properly and meeting or surpassing state and federal guidelines as they progress with construction. At the start of March, Lithium Americas launched the Thacker Pass project, regardless of the protests from campaign groups who argued that the environmental inspection procedure had been accelerated. Great Basin Resource Watch, a conservation organization, claimed in 2021 that the assessment conducted to sanction the project had been finished in a much shorter time than typical, and that the company had not gained approval from the community.
Great Basin Resource Watch is challenging the most recent judicial decision on the premise that federal law just permits Lithium Americas access to the land if lithium is continually discovered in economically feasible amounts. “It’s reasonable to assume that the mining firm wouldn’t put millions of tons of waste material on a place where they observe profitable mineral deposits,” John Hadder, an associate of the organization, expressed.
The Solicitor Opinion, which was lodged in accordance with the Mining Law of 1872, is aiming to simplify and standardize the process of acquiring permits for mining activities in the nation.
The Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior, Tommy Beaudreau, stated in an official announcement that as the Biden-Harris administration continues its work to provide clarity for the exploration and permitting of energy resources in the US, today’s opinion will help facilitate the expedited review of mining applications on public lands, and is one of the many actions the Department of the Interior is taking to update guidance for mining companies in compliance with the current standards of the 21st century.
