The battle over a proposed lithium mine in Nevada is heating up as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) prepares to release a draft environmental impact statement for public review. The mine, planned by ioneer, is located in an area that is also home to a rare flower found nowhere else on the planet – the Tiehm’s buckwheat flower. Conservation groups have raised concerns about the project, arguing that protecting biodiversity should take precedence over the need for lithium to combat climate change.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service declared the Tiehm’s buckwheat flower endangered in 2021, further complicating the situation. Despite opposition, the BLM is moving forward with the review process and has stated that ioneer has redesigned the mine to incorporate a protection plan for the flower.
The proposed lithium mine has received support from the Biden-Harris administration, with the BLM emphasizing the importance of domestic development of critical minerals for the clean energy economy. The US Department of Energy has even pledged up to $700 million to help develop the mine.
As the public review period approaches, both supporters and opponents of the mine are gearing up for a battle. The Center for Biological Diversity, a conservation group against the project, has vowed to protect the flower by any means necessary.
The final decision on the mine is expected by the end of the year, but the controversy surrounding the Tiehm’s buckwheat flower and the proposed lithium mine shows no signs of slowing down. Stay tuned for updates on this contentious issue.
