Lithium Mining at the Edge of DV

[Beardilocks]

Feels a bit weird to don my activist hat here, but a lot of these kind of things tend to operate in the shadows until it's too late.

I ran across this on one of my socials and thought it deserved some air time here.  I'm going to quote/paraphrase Reddit user ParticularShine4363 because I'm a bit rushed for time to write it all up myself.  I haven't vetted the claims in any way and leave that up to you all to check out the links and decide for yourselves.

Quote:
I wrote a post here previously about how a mining company is planning to drill for lithium less than 1/2 mile from Ash Meadows wildlife refuge & the devastating damage that will do to the endangered species there.

This same mining company has now filed for hundreds of more mining locations in Nevada, all along the Armagosa, and now Death Valley itself may be hurt by their actions. 

https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/p...024-05-16/

If they find lithium, which they say they will, the mining company intends to use 8000 acres for mining — right along the border to DV. This drilling will hit the water table that feeds not just the springs at Furnace Creek but also the water that the reservation uses for drinking water (as well as the DV Visitors Center).

I know multiple posts about the same issues can get annoying but this is a real threat to this park that we love, as well as the native individuals who call this area home.

A lot of the local governments in the NV towns close to these mining locations are calling for a pause in the mining company’s activities — Beatty, Armagosa Valley, I think even Pahrump. But so far they’re pushing forward despite the opposition. Now CA is set to be impacted too — the operations are set to begin 1 mile away from the DV border.

If you visit DV and want to help! The Armagosa Conservancy is still the only place I’ve found who is organizing against this. You can fill out a form to oppose the mining or donate here, if you’re able:

https://www.amargosaconservancy.org/saveashmeadows/

[DAW89446]

From the Las Vegas Review-Journal:

Amargosa Valley residents wary of mining claims that now circle town | Local Nevada | Local (reviewjournal.com)

A breaking news alert sent to me last week by another member here from the Amargosa Conservancy states:

"BREAKING

Rover Critical Minerals stakes hundreds of new mining claims on the doorsteps of Amargosa Valley homes and businesses, and on the shoulder of Death Valley National Park

Residents of Amargosa Valley recently alerted local government officials and conservation groups of new mining stakes outside of their homes. The claims belong to Rover Critical Minerals, the same mining company proposing to conduct exploratory drilling on the border of Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge.

On-the-ground surveying has revealed perhaps as many as 400 new claims staked just weeks ago, carpeting an 8,000 acre section of public land surrounding and bordering numerous homes and businesses in the region.

This staking of new claims just a few hundred feet from homes and businesses raises serious concerns of potential impacts to groundwater depended upon by residents for their lives and livelihoods

These new mining claims, documented here for the first time, are also staked above groundwater aquifers that feed the springs at Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park and provide drinking water to the Timbisha Shoshone Reservation. Furnace Creek hosts the park’s visitor center, hotels and other tourist amenities."

A company up my way has slowly been buying up water rights over the years in a valley adjacent to the one I live in where there are only a few large ranches and a semi-ghost town with about two dozen people. They filed under "agricultural use." Recently they quietly changed it to "mining" and are now staking up large areas as well. Sort of like the tactics taken by LADWP in the Owens Valley in the early decades of the 20th century.

[MojaveGeek]

For years I've been supporting an organization (which also allies with Center for Biological Diversity) to fight a huge copper mine proposed for an area of the Santa Rita mountains south of Tucson. Same story, except these were old mines which the (Canadian, surprise) company acquired, and then bought out private parcels in the midst of the national forest. At one point the FS actually agreed that they were allowed to dump all their waste on public land ... that got overturned in court. But there is a new law, just passed by the House, which would allow mining companies to do WHATEVER THEY WANT with public land to support mine operations. It may clear the Senate but hopefully Biden will veto it - otherwise all hell breaks loose.

[netllama]

For years I've been supporting an organization (which also allies with Center for Biological Diversity) to fight a huge copper mine proposed for an area of the Santa Rita mountains south of Tucson. Same story, except these were old mines which the (Canadian, surprise) company acquired, and then bought out private parcels in the midst of the national forest. At one point the FS actually agreed that they were allowed to dump all their waste on public land ... that got overturned in court. But there is a new law, just passed by the House, which would allow mining companies to do WHATEVER THEY WANT with public land to support mine operations. It may clear the Senate but hopefully Biden will veto it - otherwise all hell breaks loose.

Are you referring to this bill?
https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-cong...-bill/2925

[MojaveGeek]

Are you referring to this bill?
https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-cong...-bill/2925

Yes, thanks, I forgot the number.

[trailhound]

Lithium is a mission critical mineral in the manufacture of rechargeable batteries. Without it, there are no electric vehicles and no whole house solar. On the other hand, the mining outfits want to mine right up to the national park boundaries plus whatever they can steal. Is it possible to win this game? At 75, I take the long run view. In the long run, I'm dead.

[netllama]

Lithium is a mission critical mineral in the manufacture of rechargeable batteries. Without it, there are no electric vehicles and no whole house solar. On the other hand, the mining outfits want to mine right up to the national park boundaries plus whatever they can steal. Is it possible to win this game? At 75, I take the long run view. In the long run, I'm dead.

Other than your age, the remainder of what you've written here is inaccurate.

[Beardilocks]

One of the bigger issue I think is the lobbying that mining conglomerates do to make sure the penalties for polluting and/or failing to clean up after they get all the $$ out of the ground are so minimal as to be no deterrent to leaving a massive ecological disaster behind.

[trailhound]

Lithium is a mission critical mineral in the manufacture of rechargeable batteries.  Without it, there are no electric vehicles and no whole house solar.  On the other hand, the mining outfits want to mine right up to the national park boundaries plus whatever they can steal.  Is it possible to win this game?  At 75, I take the long run view.  In the long run, I'm dead.

Other than your age, the remainder of what you've written here is inaccurate.

If there is a substitute for lithium, I don't know what it is, but I would like to learn.

[Kauri]

Lithium is a mission critical mineral in the manufacture of rechargeable batteries.  Without it, there are no electric vehicles and no whole house solar.  On the other hand, the mining outfits want to mine right up to the national park boundaries plus whatever they can steal.  Is it possible to win this game?  At 75, I take the long run view.  In the long run, I'm dead.

Other than your age, the remainder of what you've written here is inaccurate.

If there is a substitute for lithium, I don't know what it is, but I would like to learn.

I too would like to know what's inaccurate about trailhound's statements. I'm guessing perhaps there's a miscommunication here due to the limitations of written correspondence?