Federal land managers are facing a difficult decision as they sift through thousands of public comments on the proposed Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron mine in Nevada. The mine, planned by Australian mining company Ioneer Corp., could potentially degrade critical habitat reserved for the endangered Tiehm’s buckwheat plant.
Despite the project’s potential to quadruple the nation’s lithium supply and play a crucial role in the clean energy transition, conservation groups and Native American tribes have raised serious concerns about the environmental impact of the mine. One of the main worries is that the mine could eliminate up to 22% of the designated critical habitat for the rare wildflower, leading to the species sliding into the open pit within the mine.
Additionally, the lack of a groundwater mitigation plan for the mine has sparked criticism from conservation groups who fear the dewatering process could negatively affect not only the endangered wildflower but also other rare species that rely on the aquifer in the Fish Lake Valley. Native American groups, such as the Western Shoshone Nation, have also voiced opposition to the project, citing the lack of meaningful consultation with tribes and concerns over the fast-track approval process for critical mineral extraction projects in Nevada.
As federal land managers work to evaluate the public comments and move towards a final decision on the mine, the debate between economic development and environmental conservation continues to simmer. The future of the Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron mine hangs in the balance as stakeholders on all sides push for their interests to be prioritized in the decision-making process.
