A federal appeals court on Monday denied a last-ditch effort by tribes to block construction of what’s likely to be the largest lithium mine in North America on federal land in Nevada.
In a blow to tribes, a U.S. appeals court has denied a last ditch legal effort to block construction of what’s expected to be the largest lithium mine in North America on federal land in Nevada.
In a decision Monday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the U.S. government did not violate federal environmental laws when it approved Lithium Nevada’s Thacker Pass mine in the waning days of the Trump administration.
Lithium is a key component of electric vehicle batteries, and despite pressure from west coast Paiute tribes and environmentalists, the Biden administration did not reverse the decision and had continued to advocate for the mine, which would be located on remote federal land near the Nevada-Oregon border.
