Judge Upholds Massive Lithium Mine
in Nevada

By Christian Roselund

A judge has upheld the US federal government’s approval of the largest proposed lithium mine in the United States. Lithium Americas Corp. plans to start construction in 2023 on the Thacker Pass Lithium Mine on land controlled by the Bureau of Land Management in Northern Nevada near the Oregon border. Once built, Thacker Pass will be the second lithium mine in the United States.

Four conservationist organizations filed suit in February 2021 to stop the project, which they claim will endanger nearby aquifers, wildlife, and a rare wildflower. Native American groups also oppose the mine and claim that the land in question was the site of an 1865 massacre of Native Americans.

Despite these concerns, the federal government approved the mine in January 2021. On 6 February 2023 U.S. District Judge Miranda Du denied the appeal by conservationist groups, stating that the federal government had acted appropriately, and that Native American groups had not proven that the 1865 massacre occurred in the area to be covered by mining operations. However, Judge Du found that the BLM violated federal law by failing to confirm that Lithium Americas has rights to dump waste and mine tailings on a portion of the site.

Thacker Pass will be an open pit mining project covering 5,700 acres that will be able to produce 66,000 tons of lithium annually at full capacity.

General Motors has stated that it will invest $650 million into the Thacker Pass mine on the condition that it survives the lawsuit. This would be the largest single investment to date by any U.S. automaker into a lithium mining project.

News analysis: Judge backs federal approval of massive lithium mine (E&E News)