* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Friday, October 24, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    ‘Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc’ Review: Hit Manga Gets an Ultra-Violent, Surprisingly Emotional Big-Screen Adaptation – Yahoo

    Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc Review: A Brutal and Unexpectedly Emotional Big-Screen Adaptation

    Reba McEntire Details Personal Relationship With Late Stepson Brandon Blackstock – KNDU

    Reba McEntire Shares Emotional Tribute to Her Late Stepson Brandon Blackstock

    Sacramento city leaders approve adding 2 entertainment zones in midtown – CBS News

    Sacramento City Leaders Approve Two Thrilling New Entertainment Zones in Midtown

    AMC brings first new Dolby Experience to Gwinnett since 2017 – Wyoming News Now

    AMC Launches First New Dolby Experience in Gwinnett Since 2017

    Hetzel Design: blending architecture and entertainment – Blooloop

    Hetzel Design: Where Architecture and Entertainment Unite in Perfect Harmony

    Country music legend rushed to hospital year after heart surgery. Here’s what we know – PennLive.com

    Country Music Legend Rushed to Hospital One Year After Heart Surgery – What’s Happening Now?

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Project underway to upgrade technology on 911 towers in Kanawha County – WCHS

    Kanawha County Launches Major Upgrade to 911 Tower Technology

    Next steps: Technology opens new options for greater mobility – Missouri Independent

    Next Steps: How Technology is Opening Exciting New Doors to Greater Mobility

    Rydberg Technologies Inc. Announces Launch of Rydberg Photonics in Berlin – The Quantum Insider

    Rydberg Technologies Launches Exciting New Photonics Division in Berlin

    A look into new technology at Columbia University that could help prevent a dangerous pregnancy complication – ABC7 New York

    A look into new technology at Columbia University that could help prevent a dangerous pregnancy complication – ABC7 New York

    Office Technology: Dealers’ Managed IT Revenue up Nearly 30% – The Cannata Report –

    Office Technology: Dealers’ Managed IT Revenue up Nearly 30% – The Cannata Report –

    3 E Network Technology Group Limited Closes $1.5 Million Convertible Promissory Note Offering – Quiver Quantitative

    3 E Network Technology Group Limited Closes $1.5 Million Convertible Promissory Note Offering – Quiver Quantitative

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    ‘Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc’ Review: Hit Manga Gets an Ultra-Violent, Surprisingly Emotional Big-Screen Adaptation – Yahoo

    Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc Review: A Brutal and Unexpectedly Emotional Big-Screen Adaptation

    Reba McEntire Details Personal Relationship With Late Stepson Brandon Blackstock – KNDU

    Reba McEntire Shares Emotional Tribute to Her Late Stepson Brandon Blackstock

    Sacramento city leaders approve adding 2 entertainment zones in midtown – CBS News

    Sacramento City Leaders Approve Two Thrilling New Entertainment Zones in Midtown

    AMC brings first new Dolby Experience to Gwinnett since 2017 – Wyoming News Now

    AMC Launches First New Dolby Experience in Gwinnett Since 2017

    Hetzel Design: blending architecture and entertainment – Blooloop

    Hetzel Design: Where Architecture and Entertainment Unite in Perfect Harmony

    Country music legend rushed to hospital year after heart surgery. Here’s what we know – PennLive.com

    Country Music Legend Rushed to Hospital One Year After Heart Surgery – What’s Happening Now?

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Project underway to upgrade technology on 911 towers in Kanawha County – WCHS

    Kanawha County Launches Major Upgrade to 911 Tower Technology

    Next steps: Technology opens new options for greater mobility – Missouri Independent

    Next Steps: How Technology is Opening Exciting New Doors to Greater Mobility

    Rydberg Technologies Inc. Announces Launch of Rydberg Photonics in Berlin – The Quantum Insider

    Rydberg Technologies Launches Exciting New Photonics Division in Berlin

    A look into new technology at Columbia University that could help prevent a dangerous pregnancy complication – ABC7 New York

    A look into new technology at Columbia University that could help prevent a dangerous pregnancy complication – ABC7 New York

    Office Technology: Dealers’ Managed IT Revenue up Nearly 30% – The Cannata Report –

    Office Technology: Dealers’ Managed IT Revenue up Nearly 30% – The Cannata Report –

    3 E Network Technology Group Limited Closes $1.5 Million Convertible Promissory Note Offering – Quiver Quantitative

    3 E Network Technology Group Limited Closes $1.5 Million Convertible Promissory Note Offering – Quiver Quantitative

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Science

A mining company is hunting for lithium, right on the edge of wildlife refuge

July 14, 2023
in Science
A mining company is hunting for lithium, right on the edge of wildlife refuge
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

lithium

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

The modern-day gold rush in the race to a greener economy is knocking on the door of a long-protected oasis in the middle of the Nevada desert.

Rover Metals, a Canadian minerals exploration company, plans to drill up to 30 deep holes in a remote patch of public land in southern Nye County as it hunts for large deposits of lithium, a key mineral in the production of electric vehicle batteries.

But the boundary of the project sits just a few thousand feet from the northern springs inside Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, sparking backlash from environmentalists, local officials and more who are sounding alarms over worries that the drilling could decimate the refuge’s fragile ecosystem and the federally protected species that call it home.

“It takes one miscalculation, one bad drill hole, one uncontrolled flow. That’s all. And that could have permanent, irreparable damage,” said Mason Voehl, executive director of the Amargosa Conservancy, a local environmental preservation group helping lead the charge against Rover’s drilling.

Rover Metals’ Let’s Go Lithium project puts Nevada once again at the epicenter of the clash that has splintered environmentalists over how to extract the lithium needed for a decarbonized world without severely disrupting the surrounding ecosystems.

But given the drilling operation’s close proximity to the refuge, the stakes in this lithium fight are even higher than some of the previous fights that have played out in court, Voehl said.

“If we’re willing to mine this close to the refuge, then it doesn’t seem like we’ll have any limits in terms of where else we’re willing to mine,” he said.

‘Need to fast-track’

Rover Metals plans to drill 10 exploration holes this summer to test for lithium content in the ground, with follow-up drilling on 20 more sites in the area this fall or early next year, according to an exploration notice filed with the Bureau of Land Management in January.

Each drill hole will be 250-300 feet deep. Rover says it expects each drill hole to hit the groundwater table, and it plans to plug each hole to standards set by the state.

Judson Culter, CEO of Rover Metals, said the company has worked in recent months with Bureau of Land Management staff to ensure that the drilling operations won’t disrupt the groundwater table.

The company is still in the “research and data aggregation” phase of the project, he added, and it does not plan to start drilling on the initial 10 holes until late summer or early fall of this year.

He said the ultimate goal is to increase lithium production in Nevada in the supply chain to electric-vehicle manufacturer Tesla, which operates a massive lithium-ion battery manufacturing factory outside of Reno.

Culter stressed the need to scale up lithium extraction in North America quickly. Industry research shows that the demand for lithium is likely to outpace global production as more electric vehicles hit the roads in the coming years, he added.

“We see the need to fast-track and try to develop the project as soon as possible,” Culter said.

Nevada, with its wide swaths of undeveloped land of dried, ancient lake beds, happens to be chock-full of the silvery-white metal at the heart of that transition.

Hotbed for lithium

Lithium has long been used for rechargeable batteries in cellphones and laptops. But it’s becoming increasingly more valuable as the Biden administration pushes vehicle manufacturers to ramp up electric vehicle production as part of the president’s “clean energy” agenda.

The Silver State is home to the only currently active lithium mine in the country—Silver Peak in Esmeralda County. Two other projects—Rhyolite Ridge and Thacker Pass—continue to move closer to starting extraction operations after lengthy court fights with tribal and environmental groups.

“The reality is that the Western part of the U.S. has a lot of lithium,” Culter said.

Ash Meadows, established as a wildlife refuge in 1984, is home to four endangered fish species and eight threatened plant species. That includes the Devils Hole pupfish, which lives in a single pond on the refuge and is considered the world’s rarest fish.

Opponents of the project fear a worst-case scenario could happen if one of Rover’s drills hits the carbonate aquifer that feeds Ash Meadows, an event that they say could effectively drain the ancient springs inside the refuge and devastate the dozens of endemic species that rely on them.

A U.S. Geological Survey paper from 2011 noted models that showed the water from Ash Meadows’ springs “may have traveled 100 miles or more underground, possibly as far away as central Nevada, passing through (or around) mountain ranges and interconnected basins.”

Other studies also show that the three northern-most springs on the refuge—Fairbanks, Longstreet and Rogers—discharge water that is somewhat cooler than the other thermal springs, which suggests “that they may be fed by shallower flow paths from the north or northeast,” according to a 2014 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service water resource inventory report for the refuge.

The list of concerns goes beyond just that worst-case water scenario, though. Opponents worry that some of the drill sites could be within a few thousand feet of Fairbanks Spring on the refuge’s northern end, close enough that vibrations from heavy drilling equipment and haul vehicles and an increase in blowing dust could harm the fish.

Should the site eventually become a full-scale lithium mine, concerns about its impact on the nearby refuge would only grow, Voehl said.

Erika Gerling, chair of the Beatty Town Advisory Council, wrote a letter last week asking for the Bureau of Land Management to halt the project until “the proper environmental, hydrological, and other applicable studies can be completed.”

“The increasing demand on Nevada from industries that are environmentally impactful and public access limiting is of grave concern to us,” Gerling wrote.

But the agency says its hands are tied for now.

No environmental review required

Because Rover’s project will disturb less than five acres of land, the company was required only to provide the BLM with a notice of its intent to drill.

Such notices do not require approval from the federal agency, which also means there are no triggers to initiate environmental-impact reviews through the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act or other law, BLM spokesman Rudy Evenson said in an email Wednesday.

The company is required to submit a bond to the BLM as a sort of insurance in case it fails to remediate the mining or drilling sites. That bond has been submitted, and the agency said it is working on an acceptance letter. Once that letter is received, the company has the green light to start drilling.

Evenson said the BLM has consulted with Rover Metals to ensure that the drilling happens outside of the refuge and “Areas of Critical Environmental Concern” that immediately surround the refuge’s boundaries.

Culter, the CEO of Rover, said the company is aware of some of the concerns raised over the project, and that he hopes to host a townhall with Amargosa Valley residents next month.

He added that the company revised its plan for the first 10 drill sites, which he said would be situated farther away from the northern boundaries of Ash Meadows and closer to the middle of the company’s claim block.

Push for oversight

Opponents hope to slow the project down, but the lack of required federal environmental reviews limits the options at their disposal.

Voehl and nearly two dozen environmental and Native American advocacy groups are urging the Department of Interior and BLM to require the company to submit a more robust plan of operations and give the public a chance to be heard before drilling starts this summer, and plan to submit a letter to Interior Secretary Deb Halland formally making those requests in the coming days.

“We want to see senior leadership say this is an exceptional situation, that we have to be careful here,” Voehl said. “We just want to see transparency, and we want to see things slow down so that we give the public that chance.”

Voehl said nearly 1,200 individual letters have been sent to federal officials urging them to require a more robust monitoring plan for the drilling operations, as well.

Beyond that, the only real recourse for the project’s opponents would be through asking the courts to get involved in a lithium fight once again.

That could mean that another long legal battle over lithium is in store— and likely not the last one for Nevada.

2023 Las Vegas Review-Journal. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Citation:
A mining company is hunting for lithium, right on the edge of wildlife refuge (2023, July 14)
retrieved 14 July 2023
from https://phys.org/news/2023-07-company-lithium-edge-wildlife-refuge.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Phys.org – https://phys.org/news/2023-07-company-lithium-edge-wildlife-refuge.html

Tags: CompanyMiningscience
Previous Post

Scientists knit futuristic eco-building designs using fungal networks

Next Post

Rushing to save coral reefs from global warming

Ecology researchers work to update Columbia River fish advisories — but face new challenges in climate change – Longview Daily News

Ecology researchers work to update Columbia River fish advisories — but face new challenges in climate change – Longview Daily News

October 24, 2025

Unlock the Secrets to Growing a Giant Pumpkin Using Science

October 24, 2025
Rare dinosaur mummies help scientists recreate their prehistoric lives – ABC News – Breaking News, Latest News and Videos

Rare Dinosaur Mummies Unlock Secrets of Their Prehistoric Lives

October 24, 2025
Orange Cat Celebrates Halloween by Putting Candy Corn in Her Water Bowl – Yahoo

Orange Cat’s Hilarious Halloween Trick: Candy Corn in Her Water Bowl!

October 24, 2025
Project underway to upgrade technology on 911 towers in Kanawha County – WCHS

Kanawha County Launches Major Upgrade to 911 Tower Technology

October 24, 2025
Sports gambling indictment revives tough questions about integrity – Axios

Sports Gambling Indictment Sparks Renewed Debate Over Integrity

October 23, 2025
Former world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik investigated for bullying following death of grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky – CNN

Former World Chess Champion Vladimir Kramnik Under Investigation Amid Tragic Loss of Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky

October 23, 2025
Trump approval on economy hits new low: Quinnipiac poll – The Hill

Trump’s Economic Approval Hits Historic Low in Shocking New Poll

October 23, 2025
‘Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc’ Review: Hit Manga Gets an Ultra-Violent, Surprisingly Emotional Big-Screen Adaptation – Yahoo

Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc Review: A Brutal and Unexpectedly Emotional Big-Screen Adaptation

October 23, 2025
WHO launches new country guidance for health emergency coordination – World Health Organization (WHO)

WHO Launches Bold New Global Guidelines to Revolutionize Health Emergency Coordination

October 23, 2025

Categories

Archives

October 2025
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Sep    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (883)
  • Economy (904)
  • Entertainment (21,775)
  • General (17,768)
  • Health (9,945)
  • Lifestyle (917)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (905)
  • Politics (914)
  • Science (16,115)
  • Sports (21,404)
  • Technology (15,884)
  • World (887)

Recent News

Ecology researchers work to update Columbia River fish advisories — but face new challenges in climate change – Longview Daily News

Ecology researchers work to update Columbia River fish advisories — but face new challenges in climate change – Longview Daily News

October 24, 2025

Unlock the Secrets to Growing a Giant Pumpkin Using Science

October 24, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version