2024-10-24 22:30:00
The American government has authorized the construction of a lithium mine in Nevada, in the habitat of a unique flower in the world, the Tiehm’s buckwheat. The Australian company Ioneer, responsible for the project, announced Thursday that it has received the necessary federal permission to start construction of the mine at the Rhyolite Ridge site in 2025, with exploitation expected starting in 2028. This project should allow the creation of approximately 350 jobs.
Ioneer President Bernard Rowe said the mine could quadruple U.S. lithium production, providing enough raw material for the batteries of 370,000 electric cars every year for 25 years. The move is a success for the Biden administration, illustrating its efforts to accelerate the energy transition.
Towards an ecological disaster
Unfortunately the site is also (and above all) the habitat of Tiehm’s buckwheat, an endemic species of buckwheat, which numbers only 20,000 specimens. Bernard Ioneer plans to destroy 22% of the plant’s habitat, but promises to rehabilitate the affected land and take protective measures, such as dust curtains and growing the flower in a greenhouse to replant it on site. The company has invested 2.5 million dollars in research on this species.
Despite a favorable environmental impact study delivered in September, environmental groups oppose the project. The Center for Biodiversity said it was considering legal action. “By giving the green light to this mine, the American government is abandoning its duty to protect endangered species,” said Patrick Donnelly, one of the leaders of the NGO. “We need lithium for the energy transition, but this cannot be done at the cost of the extinction of biodiversity,” he added.
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