LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The one mine at the moment producing lithium within the U.S. is in search of to broaden its operations in a distant space of Nevada.
The Silver Peak lithium mine is in sparsely populated Esmeralda County, southwest of Tonopah. It has been extracting lithium from a dry lakebed since 1966, lengthy earlier than the demand for electrical automobiles spurred exploration to finish U.S. dependence on overseas sources. However new mines are years from manufacturing.
Albemarle Company needs to extend the mine’s footprint by 1,596 acres, about 25% extra land than it covers as we speak at 6,462 acres. The growth would come with 548 acres of BLM land.
BLM stated it will additionally think about retroactive approval of services on the web site that have been constructed with out authorization. These embody a switch pumping station and related pipelines together with a 1.6-mile-long conveyance trench.
Two switch pump stations, associated pipelines, two brine ponds and future manufacturing effectively drilling are proposed within the growth. Extra data is out there on the net on the BLM Nationwide NEPA Register.
FILE – A truck is parked between brine evaporation ponds at Albemarle Corp.’s Silver Peak lithium facility, Oct. 6, 2022, in Silver Peak, Nev. (AP Picture/John Locher, File)
The proposed growth would come with public lands underneath management of the Bureau of Land Administration (BLM), triggering a course of adopted by the federal authorities to hunt public enter on the venture.
The BLM will conduct one digital public assembly to current data and talk about the proposed growth on Sept. 23, at 2 p.m. PDT. No feedback might be collected through the public assembly.
Feedback could also be submitted by the “Participate Now” choice (most well-liked) on this net web page. Feedback may additionally be mailed to Silver Peak EIS, P.O. Field 911, Tonopah, NV 89049. The remark interval will shut on Oct. 6, or 15 days after the digital public assembly, whichever is later.
