The U.S. Bureau of Land Management in Nevada has approved an expansion to the existing Silver Peak lithium mine near Silver Peak, Esmeralda County.
The mine, in operation since 1965, is now authorized to operate on 8,058 total acres, including 1,601 public acres. It is currently the only producing lithium mine in the United States.
The expansion allows for use of new technologies expected to increase lithium recovery by up to 100% from the same amount of raw materials.
This project was directed by the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council to be among the first included as a FAST-41 project, an initiative in the interest of government transparency and in response to administration efforts to increase American mineral production in order to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign minerals, enhance national security, and create jobs.
Owner Albemarle will also construct two transfer pump stations and related pipelines, two weak brine ponds, and conduct future production well-drilling. The BLM also retroactively approved existing facilities built without prior authorization.
In all, the BLM manages about 245 million acres in 12 western states. It also has 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation.
Source: blm.gov