The Bureau of Land Management approved an expansion last week of the only producing American lithium mine, which is northwest of Las Vegas.
The Silver Peak mine, which is owned by Albemarle, received approval through a record of decision for the expansion of its operations on around 1,500 acres, which includes bringing into compliance “unauthorized” activities near the project site.
The plans for the mine in Esmeralda County include an expansion on 375 acres for two new “weak brine” ponds, two transfer pump stations and pipelines, and well drilling. Around 938 acres — about a fifth of which is on private land — includes already-built impoundment ponds, a pump station and a 1.6-mile trench that were built without government approvals in 2013 and 2014, before Albemarle acquired the project.
The project is one of several critical mineral mines included by the Interior Department on an accelerated permitting timeline, known as FAST-41. Lithium is a metal used in a range of electronics, including electric vehicle batteries.
