Interior Department signs off on Rhyolite Ridge project

The U.S. Interior Department gave final approval to ioneer’s Rhyolite Ridge lithium mine in Nevada, the first domestic lithium mine permitted by the Biden administration, reported Reuters.

The news agency said the approval concluded a review process lasting over six years. It comes amid recent efforts by the Biden administration to support domestic critical minerals production.

“This is a science-based decision,” Laura Daniel-Davis, the Interior Department’s acting deputy secretary, told Reuters. “We’re trying to send a signal that there’s no topic with greater importance than addressing climate change.”

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management, which is controlled by the Interior Department, issued the Rhyolite Ridge’s record of decision – essentially the mine’s permit – and said the project will “include significant protections for the local ecosystem” and help create hundreds of jobs in the rural region.

Located 14 miles northeast from Dyer, Nev., Rhyolite Ridge holds the largest known lithium and boron deposit in North America. Construction is slated to begin next year, with production commencing by 2028.

Source: Reuters

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