Skip to content

Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023

Do some environmentalists oppose a Nevada lithium mine supported by the Biden Administration?


yes

The Biden administration has conditionally offered to loan $700 million to Ioneer, Ltd. to develop its Rhyolite Ridge lithium mine in Nevada, which would become the second lithium mine in the U.S. The loan would enable the project to be constructed and begin producing lithium in 2026 and is part of a broader federal effort to create a domestic supply chain for lithium batteries so more emission-free cars can be produced.

The mine is pending required approval from the U.S. Interior Department. Rhyolite Ridge is home to the world’s only Tiehm’s buckwheat wildflower population, which the U.S. government recently declared an endangered species. As a result, the Center for Biological Diversity opposes development of the mine, as proposed. Ioneer has said it supports the endangered species designation and has pledged to protect Tiehm’s buckwheat while still mining in the area. 

See a full discussion of this at The Nevada Independent

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

About fact briefs

Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.

See all fact briefs

The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement. We are supported by corporate donations, memberships, event ticket sales and sponsorships and foundation grants. We disclose all our members and donors. Donors have no influence over our content, ever. The Nevada Independent is the dba for Nevada News Bureau, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Thompson, who now serves as one of The Nevada Independent's managing directors and its Editor.

Learn More

Be a Friend of facts

Help us fund more great fact briefs like this one.