The US lithium boom is underway with 72 mines proposed in the country, but a new report has revealed that the “white gold rush” could cause a US water crisis.
A team of Arizona State University students conducted “groundbreaking” research that found that most operators plan to draw water from sources that are already under stress, such as the Colorado River.
Most of the mines, located in the Western region, will need billions of gallons of water to operate at a time when the region is experiencing the worst megadrought in 1,200 years.
The only operating mine, Silver Peak, has drained four billion gallons of water annually in Nevada since 2020 and scientists determined that “groundwater sources are declining and even disappearing entirely.”
Off the eastern coast of North Carolina is another proposed lithium mine that the students discovered could cause residential wells to run dry.
However, companies have everyone’s right when it comes to water use, since the federal law for mining was created a few years after the Civil War and has no limits on levels.
America’s lithium boom is underway with 72 mines proposed in the nation, but a new report has revealed that the “white gold rush” could cause a water crisis in the US.
The United States has around eight million metric tons of lithium on its territory, meaning the US industry is worth around $232 billion.
However, the nation only accounts for about one percent of global lithium production.
The students, who study investigative journalism at the Howard Center, examined tens of thousands of pages of state and federal environmental impact statements and mining operations reports filed by companies through the end of December 2023.
One of the key findings of the investigation was the lack of federal laws for mining, specifically on how much can be extracted from the United States supply.
The Mining Act of 1872 is the only law in force, which declared that all valuable mineral deposits on lands belonging to the United States were free and open to exploration and purchase.
A team of students from the University of Arizona conducted “groundbreaking” research and found that most operators plan to draw water from sources that are already under stress, such as the Colorado River (pictured).
Albemarle is aiming to restart the Kings Mountain mine in North Carolina, which could contain five million tonnes when it begins operations in 2030, as students found it could cause residential shafts to run dry.
The provisions have only been amended to add the Federal Land Policy Management Act of 1976, which provides guidelines “for the management, protection, development and improvement of public lands.”
That addition came into force in January 1981 and since then no changes have been made to the Mining Law.
Patrick Donnelly, a conservation biologist at the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity, told the Howard Center that if the proposed 72 mines are built under current rules, “it would be a fundamental transformation of the American West.”
“People compare it to the gold rush, but the gold rush was pretty small scale, compared to what all this lithium looks like,” Donnelly continued.
The students researched proposed mines in Arkansas and discovered that companies also want to use mineral-rich water from the drier regions of the southern state.
The site is located in a small town called Magnolia that is home to only 11,100 people.
Exxon Mobil plans to build one of the world’s largest lithium processing facilities near the city, with the capacity to produce between 75,000 and 100,000 metric tons of lithium per year, which would account for 15 percent of global lithium production.
The students researched proposed mines in Arkansas and discovered that companies also want to use mineral-rich water from the drier regions of the southern state.
The site is located in a small town called Magnolia that is home to only 11,100 people.
About 40 of the 72 mines are located in Nevada, the driest state in the United States, and 80 percent of them would be located in water supplies considered at risk of low water levels, according to the Howard Center analysis.
While the mines are not yet operational, Silver Peak has been producing lithium since the 1960s.
Owned by the American Albemarle, the mine produces around 5,000 tons of lithium per year, enough to make batteries for 80,000 electric vehicles.
Albemarle intends to restart the Kings Mountain mine in North Carolina, which could contain five million tons when it begins operations in 2030.
However, residents of the small town are concerned about their personal water supply that comes from underground wells.
The Central Nevada Regional Water Authority has found problems with mining practices at Silver Peak.
The local government branch reported that water levels discovered near the mining site decreased between 2022 and 2023 “due solely to dehydration throughout the Clayton Valley for lithium mining purposes.”
Kings Mountain was one of the world’s largest lithium producers between 1938 and 1988. The mine received $90 million from the government to reopen in 2030.
Silver Peak site operations director Scott Thibodeaux told students, ‘I’m not familiar with the details. Maybe someone within the organization is. It’s not myself.’
The Howard Center report noted that Thibodeaux oversees operations, including water consumption.
DailyMail.com has contacted Thibodeaux for comment.
Albemarle spokesperson Allison Eckley issued a statement after speaking to students about Silver Peak’s impact on the water supply, saying, “Albemarle’s operations do not impact freshwater aquifers in the area.”
Nyle Pennington, a veteran water scientist who tracks groundwater for local governments, told the Howard Center team that he has data to support that Albermarle does it, and that it’s the quantity, not the quality, of the water that’s being altered. .
Central Nevada Regional Water Authority Executive Director Jeff Fontaine also noted that excessive water use in the basin can cause “permanent” damage underground and “a combination of things happening that would prevent that aquifer from being restored.” really”.
The Howard Center team analyzed state water data and found projections showing water from the mine could increase drainage by up to 6.5 billion gallons, which Eckley told students was part of the company’s plan. company.
The only operating mine, Silver Peak, has drained four billion gallons of water annually in Nevada since 2020 and scientists determined that “groundwater sources are declining and even disappearing entirely.”
Albermarle disclosed to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that that amount would be equal to or greater than the amount the basin naturally produces each year.
“I think alarm bells have been ringing,” Fontaine said. “I think there are a lot of people concerned about what’s happening in Clayton Valley, but I don’t know if there’s an agreement on what needs to be done.”
In addition to a potential water crisis, the team discovered that only 17 of the mines are owned by US-based companies, meaning the rest were purchased by foreign entities.
About 28 of the 40 sites in Nevada are owned by companies outside the U.S., the Howard Center analysis found.
Republican Esmeralda County Commissioner De Winsor said: ‘These mining companies come in and they don’t belong in the area.
‘They’re from Australia or they’re from Canada or they’re from some other country and they don’t give a damn about communities or water sources.
Canada-based Lithium Americas is seeking a record $1 billion low-interest loan from the Department of Energy to finance construction of lithium mining on U.S. public lands in Nevada.
The company is working with General Motors to source lithium for electric car batteries, but the students noted that “nothing would stop General Motors from taking American-made batteries and shipping them south of the border, where they could create or maintain jobs in General Motors”. Motors electric vehicle production plant in Mexico.’
GM said in an email to the Howard Center that the company plans to use the lithium it sources from Lithium Americas outside the U.S. as part of a “broader strategy we have to establish a North American-based supply chain.” for raw and processed materials for electric vehicle batteries and other electric vehicle components, such as permanent magnets and motors.