View source for Earth:Thacker Pass Lithium Mine

{{short description|Proposed mining of hectorite clay deposit in Nevada}}
{{Infobox mine
| name                = Thacker Pass Lithium Mine
| image               = 
| width               = 
| caption             = 
| pushpin_map         = USA Nevada
| pushpin_label       = Thacker Pass Lithium
| pushpin_map_caption = 
| coordinates         = {{Coord|41|42|30.25|N|118|03|17.12|W}}<ref name=blmea>{{cite tech report| title = Final Environmental Assessment Western Lithium Corporation Kings Valley Clay Mine| url = https://eplanning.blm.gov/public_projects/nepa/36375/47161/51121/357800_070_WLC_EA_Text_20140304_FNL_wApp_508.pdf | date = March 2014| access-date = January 13, 2019}}</ref>
| place               = 
| subdivision_type    = 
| state/province      = Nevada
| country             = United States
| owner               = Lithium Americas
| official website    = {{official website|https://www.lithiumamericas.com/thacker-pass/}}
| acquisition year    = 
| products            = [[Chemistry:Lithium|Lithium]]
| financial year      = 
| amount              = 66,000 tons per year (projected){{ r | NYT 2021-05-06 | TG 2021-12-02 }}
| greatest depth      = {{convert|400| feet}}{{ r | TheNation_2021-09-23 }}
| opening year        = Not yet operational
| closing year        = 
}}
The '''Thacker Pass Lithium Mine''' is a [[Chemistry:Lithium|lithium]] clay mining development project in Humboldt County, Nevada, which is the largest known lithium deposit in the US and one of the largest in the world.<ref name=usgs2017/><ref name="RGJ 2021-09-06">{{Cite news|last=Sonner|first=Scott|date=September 6, 2021|title=Judge rejects tribes' efforts to halt digging at Thacker Pass lithium mine in Nevada|url=https://www.rgj.com/story/news/2021/09/06/thacker-pass-lithium-mine-tribes-lose-bid-block-digging-nevada-mine/5746578001/|access-date=September 9, 2021|work=Reno Gazette Journal|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name = "CNN_2021-12-17"/> There has been significant exploration of Thacker Pass since 2007. The Bureau of Land Management issued a Record of Decision approving development of the mine in January 2021. Construction began in March 2023 after an emergency appeal was denied by the court.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sonner |first=Scott |date=March 2, 2023 |title=9th Circuit denies emergency bid to halt Nevada lithium mine at Thacker Pass |language=en-us |work=KRNV-DT |agency=Associated Press |url=https://mynews4.com/news/local/9th-circuit-denies-emergency-bid-to-halt-nevada-lithium-mine-at-thacker-pass |access-date=2023-03-05}}</ref> The project site would cover {{convert|18,000| acres}}, with less than {{convert|6,000| acres}} of that being mined,<ref name=":11">{{cite report|last=Bureau of Land Management|date=December 4, 2020|title=Thacker Pass Lithium Mine Project Final Environmental Impact Statement|url=https://eplanning.blm.gov/public_projects/1503166/200352542/20030633/250036832/Thacker%20Pass_FEIS_Chapters1-6_508.pdf|access-date=September 6, 2022|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Burmeister |first=Tim |title=Thacker Pass lithium project gets national spotlight |url=https://elkodaily.com/mining/thacker-pass-lithium-project-gets-national-spotlight/article_e2633703-1240-5eef-ac4f-235b6816049b.html |access-date=2022-09-07 |work=Elko Daily Free Press |language=en | quote=The Thacker Pass project boundary encompasses 17,933 acres, but the land disturbance area is 5,694.8 acres.}}</ref><ref name="Lightcap2021">{{Cite news |last=Lightcap |first=Seth |date=2021-12-06 |title=Thacker Pass: The Crossroads of Lithium, Wild Snow and Sacred Land |language=en-US |work=Tahoe Quarterly |url=https://tahoequarterly.com/features/thacker-pass-the-crossroads-of-lithium-wild-snow-and-sacred-land |access-date=2022-09-07 |page=1|quote=The mine site is slated to occupy roughly 18,000 acres, with most of that land used for processing facilities and transportation logistics. Only 5,500 acres will be actively mined over the 46 years.}}</ref><ref name="Bosler2021">{{Cite news |last=Bosler |first=Cayte |date=Nov 7, 2021 |title=Plans To Dig the Biggest Lithium Mine in the US Face Mounting Opposition |work=Inside Climate News |url=https://insideclimatenews.org/news/07112021/lithium-mining-thacker-pass-nevada-electric-vehicles-climate/}}</ref> on a site {{convert|21|mi}} west-northwest of Orovada, Nevada within the [[Earth:McDermitt Caldera|McDermitt Caldera]].<ref name=TheNation_2021-09-23>{{Cite news|last=Malmgren|first=Evan|date=September 23, 2021|title=The Battle for Thacker Pass|work=The Nation|url=https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/thacker-pass-mine-protest/}}</ref><ref name=usgs2017>{{cite report | url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/1802/k/pp1802k.pdf | title = Lithium, Chapter K of Critical Mineral Resources of the United States—Economic and Environmental Geology and Prospects for Future Supply | first1 = Dwight C. | last1 = Bradley | first2 = Lisa L. | last2 = Stillings | first3  =Brian W. | last3 = Jaskula | first4 = LeeAnn | last4 = Munk | first5 = Andrew D. | last5 = McCauley | year = 2017 | number = Professional Paper 1802–K | publisher = United States Geological Survey}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Public Input Sought for Clay Mine | date = January 2, 2014 | url  =https://www.newspapers.com/clip/42220523/public_input_sought_for_clay_mine_plan/ | newspaper = Reno Gazette-Journal}}</ref> The mine is a project of Lithium Nevada, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lithium Americas Corp, whose largest shareholder is the world's largest lithium mining company, Chinese Ganfeng Lithium.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Lithium Americas|last=Investor Relations|title=Lithium Americas Announces US$174 Million Strategic Investment by Ganfeng Lithium|url=https://www.lithiumamericas.com/news/lithium-americas-announces-us174-million-strategic-investment-by-ganfeng-lithium |access-date=2023-09-11 |website=lithiumamericas.com |language=en|date=2017-01-17|year=2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230911235647/http://www.lithiumamericas.com/news/lithium-americas-announces-us174-million-strategic-investment-by-ganfeng-lithium|archive-date=2023-09-11}}</ref><ref name=Lightcap2021/><!-- note that template:r doesn't work correctly in transclusion {{ r | Lightcap2021 | p=1 | q=Lithium Americas presents a solution to just about every concern about the mine project, but it is a publicly traded company, whose largest shareholder is China's Ganfeng Lithium, the largest lithium mining company in the world. }} --> At full capacity it would produce 66,000 tons annually,<ref name =  "NYT 2021-05-06"/><ref name = "TheNation_2021-09-23"/><ref name = "RGJ 2021-09-06"/> equivalent to 25% of the current (2021) [[Chemistry:Lithium#Production|demand for lithium globally]], which is expected to triple over the next five years. Development of the mine is driven by increasing demand for lithium used in [[Engineering:Electric vehicle battery|electric vehicle batteries]] and grid storage of [[Engineering:Variable renewable energy|intermittently generated electricity]] from sources such as [[Engineering:Solar power|solar power]] or wind power.<ref name = "CNN_2021-12-17"/><ref name="TG 2021-12-02">{{Cite news |last=Flin |first=Briana |date=December 2, 2021 |title='Like putting a lithium mine on Arlington cemetery': the fight to save sacred land in Nevada |work=The Guardian |url=https://amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/dec/02/thacker-pass-lithium-mine-fight-save-sacred-land-nevada |access-date=2021-12-18}}</ref> In late January 2023, car giant [[Company:General Motors|General Motors]] announced it would invest $650M in the mine project, giving GM exclusive access to the first phase of production.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Scheyder |first=Ernest |date=2023-01-31 |title=GM to help Lithium Americas develop Nevada's Thacker Pass mine |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/gm-lithium-americas-develop-thacker-pass-mine-nevada-2023-01-31/ |access-date=2023-02-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Clifford |first=Catherine |title=GM to invest $650 million in a lithium company to support its electric vehicle business |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/31/gm-to-invest-650-million-in-lithium-company-to-support-ev-growth.html |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=CNBC |language=en}}</ref>

<!-- note that this paragraph and the previous are transcluded into Humbolt County, Nevada and must self-contain their references to avoid causing errors on that page -->
The project has met resistance in the form of legal challenges and direct action.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stone |first1=Maddie |title=The Battle of Thacker Pass |url=https://grist.org/climate/the-west-has-a-new-front-in-the-war-over-electric-cars/ |work=Grist |date=March 12, 2021 |access-date=23 October 2021}}</ref> Several indigenous tribes with traditional homeland in the area oppose the project. These tribes have stated that Thacker Pass is a sacred site, a massacre site, and that they were not adequately consulted by the Bureau of Land Management. Opponents of the mine have voiced concerns about rushed environmental review, threats to critical wildlife habitat, disruption of cultural sites, and links between resource extraction and missing and murdered indigenous women. Proponents of the mine have stated that the project is necessary to [[Earth:Climate change mitigation|limit climate change]] by reducing carbon emissions from American cars, is benign in its social and environmental impact, and will create 300 long-term jobs in rural Nevada, paying an average of $63,000 per year.<ref name="NYT 2021-05-06">{{Cite news|last1=Penn | first1=Ivan | last2=Lipton | first2=Eric |date=May 6, 2021|title=The Lithium Gold Rush: Inside the Race to Power Electric Vehicles|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/06/business/lithium-mining-race.html|access-date=May 22, 2021}}</ref><ref name = "TheNation_2021-09-23" /> ''{{wipe|The New York Times}}'' reported that controversy around the mine is "emblematic of a fundamental tension" between green energy and damage caused by resource extraction required for those technologies.<ref name="NYT 2021-05-06" />

==Resources==
The Thacker Pass lithium deposit has [[Earth:Mineral resource classification#Mineral Resources|measured and indicated resources]] of 13.7 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent, at an average ore grade of 2,231 [[Parts per million|ppm]] (0.22%) lithium.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Lithium Americas |title=Lithium Americas Expands Resource at Thacker Pass and Increases Phase 1 Capacity to Target 40,000 TPA Lithium Carbonate |url=https://www.lithiumamericas.com/news/lithium-americas-expands-resource-at-thacker-pass-and-increases-phase-1-capacity-to-target-40000-tpa-lithium-carbonate|date=7 October 2021|location=Vancouver, BC |access-date=17 December 2021}}</ref> The Thacker Pass volcano-sedimentary deposit is the largest known sedimentary lithium resource in the U.S.<ref name=usgs2017/>

Lithium Americas estimates that the site contains recoverable lithium worth $3.9 billion.{{ r | NYT 2021-05-06 }} It is estimated that enough batteries for about a million electric vehicles a year could be mined.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Batteries and the new "lithium gold-rush" |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/batteries-and-the-new-lithium-gold-rush/ |access-date=2023-01-07 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Mining and extraction process ===
Thacker Pass would use a newly developed process to extract lithium from the clay deposit.<ref name="Lightcap2021"/> Usually lithium is mined by either hard rock mining or [[Earth:Brine mining|brine mining]].{{ r | Lightcap2021 }} This mine will use hydraulic shovels to remove the clay and turn it into a [[Physics:Slurry|slurry]].{{ r | Lightcap2021 }}  Non-lithium-containing sand and rock will be separated and immediately returned to the pit.{{ r | Lightcap2021 | p=1 | q=Because the mine area is predominantly made up of soft clay, hydraulic shovels will be used to scoop up the ore and dump it into 100-ton mining trucks that will then deliver it to the first processing stage. ... The first step in processing the clay is to mix it with water and create a slurry. The slurry is then agitated to break out the non-lithium-containing sand and rock. The sand and rock get immediately dumped back in the pit and the milkshake-consistency slurry gets pumped on to the first processing plant. }}The lithium-bearing clay slurry would be mixed with [[Chemistry:Sulfuric acid|sulfuric acid]] to extract the metal.{{ r | Lightcap2021 }} A plant would be built on-site to burn molten [[Chemistry:Sulfur|sulfur]] and produce sulfuric acid, which is safer than transporting sulfuric acid, and would result in one third the number of truckloads necessary.{{ r | Lightcap2021 | p=1 | q=Sulfuric acid can be transported by truck, but it's very dangerous if spilled. So the mine plans include an onsite sulfuric acid manufacturing plant. The sulfuric acid will be made by burning molten sulfur that's brought in by the truckload from Winnemucca. “The upsides of making our own sulfuric acid are tremendous,” says Crowley. “For one, the chemical reaction going from sulfur to sulfuric acid creates heat, which we will use to produce carbon-free power that will be the primary energy source for the processing plant. The other upside is that we'll only need to truck in a third of the material. So we eliminate two-thirds of the truckloads by making sulfuric acid on-site.” }} Sulfur is a byproduct from [[Chemistry:Oil refinery|oil refineries]],<ref name="Lightcap2021" /> and may be sourced from as far away as the Alberta oil sands.{{r | Bosler2021 | p=1 | q=Every day the operation would burn hundreds of tons of sulfur trucked in from as far away as the Alberta oil sands}} The facility would produce 5,800 tons of sulfuric acid per day, requiring 75 semi-trucks of molten sulfur to be delivered daily from Winnemucca. Burning the sulfur to produce sulfuric acid is an exothermic reaction, allowing the plant to generate most of its own electricity.<ref name="Lightcap2021" />

After the slurry is reacted with sulfuric acid, it will be pressed through filters which separate the elemental lithium solution, and then processed into [[Chemistry:Lithium carbonate|lithium carbonate]] or [[Chemistry:Lithium hydroxide|lithium hydroxide]] for batteries.{{ r | Lightcap2021 | p=1 | q=After treatment with sulfuric acid, the slurry is pumped to a final processing plant, where it's pushed through filter presses that separate the lithium solution from the clay. The elemental lithium solution then gets transformed into lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide, which are the materials that can be made into batteries. The relatively dry and neutralized leftover clay tailings are then placed in a lined containment facility inside the pit using a “dry stack” method that compresses the tailings to minimize water runoff. }}  The [[Engineering:Tailings|tailings]] will then be returned to the pit. (The mine will use a process called "block mining", whereby previously excavated sections get filled with tailings as the operation progresses.){{ r | Lightcap2021 | p=1 | q=The ore will be excavated using a block-mining technique that continuously backfills the pit throughout the life of the mine. }}

The mine is planned to operate for 46 years, with the first 20 years removing material above the [[Earth:Water table|water table]], with Lithium Americas intending to do studies over a decade on the water flows around the pit in hopes of proposing a safe method for mining below the water table (for which they are not yet permitted to do.){{ r | Lightcap2021 | p=1 | q=In year 20 of the mine plan, digging would commence in an area where the lithium-rich clay dips below the water table. To avoid contaminating the groundwater will then require a different containment method that has yet to be decided or approved. The Nevada Department of Environmental Protection (NDEP), the state agency tasked with monitoring industrial emissions, gave preliminary approval to Lithium Nevada's water pollution control plans in October 2021, but the conditional permit it issued restricts the mine from digging deeper than 15 feet above the water table. Lithium Nevada expects that additional studies on the water flows around the pit conducted over the next decade will allow them to find a safe solution for mining below the water table. }}

== Background ==

=== Global demand and US deposits ===
Development of the mine is driven by increasing demand for lithium used in [[Engineering:Electric vehicle battery|electric vehicle batteries]] and for grid storage of [[Engineering:Variable renewable energy|intermittently generated electricity]] from sources such as [[Engineering:Solar power|solar power]] or wind power.<ref name="CNN_2021-12-17" /><ref name="TG 2021-12-02"/> As of 2021 lithium demand is expected to triple over the next 5 years, increase tenfold by 2030, and potentially increase 50-fold by 2040.{{r | NYT 2021-05-06 | TG 2021-12-02 | RGJ 2021-09-06 }}{{ r | Lightcap2021 | p=1 | q=The International Energy Agency, an organization that tracks world energy usage, estimates that the global demand for lithium will increase more than tenfold by 2030, and potentially 50 times greater by 2040. }} The US government is concerned that, as of 2021, almost all the lithium used in the US is imported, which the Department of Energy says is a "strategic vulnerability".<ref>{{Cite news|date=November 7, 2021|title=Batteries and the new "lithium gold-rush"|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/batteries-and-the-new-lithium-gold-rush/|access-date=2021-11-30|work=CBS News|language=en-US}}</ref> The [[Earth:Environmental policy of the Joe Biden administration|Biden administration policy]] sees the United States securing a larger share of the lithium-battery supply chain through “safe, equitable and sustainable domestic mining ventures”.{{r|TG 2021-12-02}}

While the US holds some of the largest known reserves of lithium, the only large-scale US mine producing it (located in Silver Peak, Nevada) makes less than 5,000 tons annually, which is less than 2% of the global supply.{{ r | NYT 2021-05-06 }} Bessemer City mine and Kings Mountain Mine in North Carolina have a lithium deposits.<ref name=CNN_2021-12-17 >{{Cite web|last1=Nilsen|first1=Ella|last2=Marsh|first2=Rene|date=2021-12-17|title=A rush to mine lithium in Nevada is pitting climate advocates and environmental groups against each other|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/17/politics/lithium-mining-energy-climate/index.html|access-date=2021-12-17|website=CNN}}</ref>{{ r | NYT 2021-05-06 | p=1 | q=Even though the United States has some of the world's largest reserves, the country today has only one large-scale lithium mine, Silver Peak in Nevada, which first opened in the 1960s and is producing just 5,000 tons a year — less than 2 percent of the world's annual supply. }} <ref name=USGS_linked_from_NYT_2021-05-06 >{{ cite web | url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-lithium.pdf | title=LITHIUM | last= | first= | work=United States Geological Survey | date=2021-01-01 }}</ref>

The environmental conflict at Thacker Pass lithium mine is representative of global conflicts arising from increased mineral extraction that would be required to make an energy transition away from fossil fuels in response to climate change.<ref name="Bosler2021" /> Indigenous people have expressed concern that a global rush for critical minerals like lithium, nickel, cobalt, and copper could violate their [[Social:Fundamental rights|basic rights]] and endanger their local ecologies and cultural heritage.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2022-08-11 |title=Korean firms asked to consult with indigenous peoples prior to searching for renewable energy resources |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2023/01/371_334297.html |access-date=2023-01-03 |work=Korea Times |language=en}}</ref> International frontline communities affected by mining have called for a just transition that would prevent or minimise this damage to Indigenous cultures and the environment.<ref name="PDO10-22">{{Cite news |date=Oct 18, 2022 |title=Communities call for just transition to renewable energy resources without destructive mining |work=People's Daily Online |url=http://en.people.cn/n3/2022/1018/c90000-10160353.html |access-date=2022-12-24}}</ref><ref name="Macau10-22" >{{Cite news|date=2022-10-15 |title=Conference held in Nevada to address concerns for U.S. largest lithium mining project |url=https://www.macaubusiness.com/conference-held-in-nevada-to-address-concerns-for-u-s-largest-lithium-mining-project/ |access-date=2022-12-24 |work=Macau Business |language=en-GB}}</ref>

=== Cultural history ===
Thacker Pass is the traditional homeland of several related Indigenous nations, including the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe, Lovelock Paiute Tribe, Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe and the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Solis |first=Jennifer |date=11 Jun 2021 |title=Opposition to lithium mine grows among tribes, conservationists |work=The Nevada Current |url=https://www.nevadacurrent.com/2021/06/11/opposition-to-lithium-mine-grows-among-tribes-conservationists/#:~:text=Thacker%20Pass%20is%20the%20traditional,the%20Reno-Sparks%20Indian%20Colony. |access-date=June 29, 2021}}</ref> Local Indigenous communities harvest traditional foods, medicines and supplies for sacred ceremonies in the region.<ref name="TG 2021-12-02" /> Members of the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe have stated that their tribe "descends from essentially two families who, hiding in Thacker Pass, managed to avoid being sent to reservations farther away from our ancestral lands" and hence that this tribe owes its existence to the shelter provided by the Pass.<ref name=":3" />

Thacker Pass is called ''Peehee mu'huh'' in the Paiute language, meaning 'rotten moon'. This name derives from an 1865 massacre that Native tribes contend occurred at Thacker Pass (though the BLM contends that the site is 15 miles away), where a band of Paiute families were killed.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Smart |first=Myron |date=March 24, 2021 |title=First Voices Indigenous Radio with Myron Smart and Will Falk |pages=16:20 to 18:40 |work=First Voices Indigenous Radio |url=https://firstvoicesindigenousradio.org/program/20210324?fbclid=IwAR1KzrBspU9DGseOFKp88epZ99ukOf5RxTLkvDbbDY7LzVeAfHYTypMtmMc |access-date=June 6, 2021}}</ref>{{r | TheNation_2021-09-23 | p=1 | q=“Our oral histories tell us that Peehee mu’huh was the site of a terrible massacre for our people,” said Hinkey, a member of People of Red Mountain, in a legal declaration in July 2021. According to this history, a band of Paiutes was staying in Thacker Pass, with their hunters on a trip in nearby Paradise Valley. ... Despite this, BLM has questioned the reliability of Paiute oral traditions, claiming in written arguments that the “only” massacre site identified near Thacker Pass is “at least” 15 miles away. }}{{r | TG 2021-12-02 | p=1 | q=Hinkey and other tribal members say that, in 1865, a massacre took place at Thacker Pass, killing at least 31 members of the Paiute tribe. That there was a massacre in the area is not contested: Hinkey's great-great-great grandfather, Ox Sam, was one of three survivors. But the location of the massacre is disputed, with the Indigenous groups recently losing a court case seeking to prove that Thacker Pass was the site. }}

== Mine impacts ==
{{CO2}} emissions from the mine would amount to over 152,000 tons annually, (equal to a small city).<ref name="Bosler2021" />

The mine would consume 1.7 billion gallons of water annually (500,000 gallons per ton of lithium produced).<ref name="Bosler2021" /> The mine's water use prompted a lawsuit from a local rancher who claimed that the hydrologist hired by the BLM to prepare reports assessing the mine's impact had a conflict of interest with Lithium Nevada.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Sonner|first=Scott|date=October 29, 2021|title=Nevada rancher cites 'shroud of secrecy' at lithium mine|work=Associated Press|url=https://apnews.com/article/business-environment-and-nature-lawsuits-nevada-environment-33b9a19e4ae2ae30f0ebd98b1d3f614a}}</ref>

The mine overlaps with {{convert|2866|acres}} of big sagebrush habitat and known golden eagle breeding sites.<ref name=":8">{{cite tech report |title=Thacker Pass Lithium Mine Project Final Environmental Impact Statement |number=DOI-BLM-NV-W010-2020-0012-EIS |date=December 4, 2020 |publisher=Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |url=https://eplanning.blm.gov/public_projects/1503166/200352542/20030633/250036832/Thacker%20Pass_FEIS_Chapters1-6_508.pdf |access-date=March 16, 2021}}</ref> The project may be disruptive to the habitat of Endangered Species Act-listed animals. A coalition of environmental groups filing a lawsuit against the mine stated that Thacker Pass is "critically important to wildlife because it connects the Double H Mountains to the Montana Mountains. The pass also provides lower-elevation habitat that wildlife need to survive the winter." The group also stated that the area constituted "one of the last big blocks of the sagebrush sea free of development."<ref name=":7" />

Additional environmental concerns include contamination from groundwater pollutants such as arsenic, air pollution from sulfuric acid leaching of lithium from clay sediments, and changes in the connectivity of groundwater and surface water systems. This could harm the habitat of the endangered [[Biology:Lahontan cutthroat trout|Lahontan cutthroat trout]] and the Kings River pyrg (''Pyrgulopsis imperialis''), a rare springsnail not known to live anywhere else in the world.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":10" />

There are concerns about the mine's potential impacts on the safety of local communities: projects that bring a large predominately male workforce from outside the local area can generate local increases in drug use and violent crime,{{r|TheNation_2021-09-23|p=1|quote=similar operations often bring outside contractors who populate sprawling “man camps.” These temporary, overwhelmingly male workforces can make housing unaffordable for locals and lead to spikes in drug use and violent crime.}} and are associated with violence against Indigenous women.<ref name="TheNation_2021-09-23" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Chadwell |first=Jeri |date=July 21, 2021 |title=Judge to decide on injunction request to halt work on Thacker Pass lithium mine |work=This is Reno |url=https://thisisreno.com/2021/07/judge-to-decide-on-injunction-request-to-halt-work-on-thacker-pass-lithium-mine/ |access-date=October 12, 2021}}</ref>

== Regulatory approval and litigation==
===Bureau of Land Management===
In August 2019, Lithium Americas lodged a Plan of Operations for its proposed [[Chemistry:Lithium|lithium]] clay mining development project with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the federal mining regulator.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cook |first1=Michelle |title=$1.3 billion lithium mining project takes shape in rural Northern Nevada |url=https://www.nnbw.com/news/1-3-billion-lithium-mining-project-takes-shape-in-rural-northern-nevada/ |access-date=May 3, 2020 |work=The Humboldt Sun |date=October 10, 2019 |location=Winnemucca, NV |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201214212944/https://www.nnbw.com/news/1-3-billion-lithium-mining-project-takes-shape-in-rural-northern-nevada/ |archive-date=December 14, 2020}}</ref> In January 2020, the company announced the publication of a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Thacker Pass lithium project.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cook |first1=Michelle |title=$1.3 billion Lithium Nevada project on track for 2020 milestones |url=https://www.nnbw.com/news/1-3-billion-lithium-nevada-project-on-track-for-2020-milestones/ |access-date=May 3, 2020 |agency=Nevada News Group |date=January 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117220008/https://www.nnbw.com/news/1-3-billion-lithium-nevada-project-on-track-for-2020-milestones/ |archive-date=January 17, 2021}}</ref> On January 15, 2021, BLM issued their Record of Decision approving the Thacker Pass Lithium Mine.<ref>{{citation|title=Humboldt River Field Office issues a Record of Decision for the Thacker Pass Lithium Mine|date=January 15, 2021|url=https://www.blm.gov/press-release/humboldt-river-field-office-issues-record-decision-thacker-pass-lithium-mine|publisher=Bureau of Land Management|access-date=March 16, 2021}}</ref>

Opponents of the mine claim the environmental review was rushed, because what is normally a multi-year review process was completed in less than a year.<ref name=":0" /> During the permitting process for the proposed Thacker Pass lithium mine in 2020, the BLM consultation with the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe, the Summit Lake Paiute tribe, and the Western Winnemucca Indian Colony resulted in no issue concerning historic property within areas of potential disturbance.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kathleen Rehberg's Letter to Reno-Sparks Indian Colony |url=https://github.com/domesticlithium/lawsuits/blob/main/47-2.pdf |publisher=Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) |access-date=3 August 2021}}</ref> Other tribes were not consulted  during the review process, leading the Burns Paiute Tribe and the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony to intervene in a lawsuit against the BLM and Lithium Nevada Corporation in July 2021.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news|last=Solis|first=Jeniffer|date=August 28, 2021|title=Tribes seek pause on development of lithium mine|work=The Nevada Current|url=https://www.nevadacurrent.com/2021/08/28/tribes-seek-pause-on-development-of-lithium-mine/|access-date=August 30, 2021}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{cite news|last1=Scheyder|first1=Ernest|date=July 28, 2021|title=UPDATE 1-Native Americans win ruling to join lawsuit against Lithium Americas project|work={{wipe|Reuters}}|editor1-last=Adler|editor1-first=Leslie|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-mining-lithium-americas-idCNL1N2P43H5|access-date=July 29, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Chadwell|first=Jeri|date=September 1, 2021|title=Judge to rule on another possible injunction for Thacker Pass lithium mine|work=This is Reno|url=https://thisisreno.com/2021/09/judge-to-rule-on-another-possible-injunction-for-thacker-pass-lithium-mine}}</ref>

In early February, 2021, a local rancher filed a lawsuit against the BLM over concerns about the project's water use.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Price|first=Austin|date=March 4, 2021|title=Let's Not Blow Up a Mountain and Call It Green|url=https://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/articles/entry/lets-not-blow-up-a-mountain-and-call-it-green-thacker-pass-lithium/|access-date=April 12, 2021|website=Earth Island Journal}}</ref> On February 26, 2021, four environmental non-profits (Western Watersheds Project, Great Basin Resource Watch, Basin and Range Watch, and Wildlands Defense) also filed a lawsuit challenging the BLM's permitting of the project, claiming threats to sage grouse habitat, old growth sagebrush, golden eagle nests, endemic [[Biology:Socorro springsnail|springsnail]]s, and Endangered Species Act–listed Lahontan cutthroat trout, [[Biology:Bighorn sheep|bighorn sheep]], and [[Biology:Pygmy rabbit|pygmy rabbit]]s.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|last=Great Basin Resource Watch|date=February 26, 2021|title=Conservation and Public Accountability Groups File Legal Challenge to the Thacker Pass Lithium Mine|url=http://gbrw.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Thacker-Pass-PR-final.pdf|access-date=April 17, 2021}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{cite news|last1=Sonner|first1=Scott|date=March 5, 2021|title=Federal lawsuit challenges construction of lithium mine approved during Trump's final days|publisher=Reno Gazette-Journal|agency=Associated Press|url=https://www.rgj.com/story/news/2021/03/05/federal-lawsuit-challenges-thacker-pass-lithium-mine-nevada/4601075001/|access-date=March 16, 2021}}</ref> These opponents of the mine have claimed that the review process was rushed and that the public input process was questionable.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Kapoor|first=Maya|date=February 18, 2021|title=Nevada lithium mine kicks off a new era of Western extraction|work=High Country News|url=https://www.hcn.org/issues/53.3/indigenous-affairs-mining-nevada-lithium-mine-kicks-off-a-new-era-of-western-extraction|access-date=March 3, 2021}}</ref><ref name=":1" />

Regional indigenous tribes have intervened in the lawsuits against the BLM and Lithium Nevada Corporation. Reno-Sparks Indian Colony requested that the BLM consult them about the mine, stating in a letter that "Just because regional tribes have been isolated and forced onto reservations relatively far away from Thacker Pass does not mean these regional tribes do not possess cultural connections to the Pass."<ref name=":0" /> When the BLM rejected this request for consultation, Reno Sparks Indian Colony, Burns Paiute Tribe, and a committee of Fort McDermitt Tribal members calling themselves People of Red Mountain intervened in the lawsuits.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6">{{Cite news|last=Bahouth|first=Brian|date=August 28, 2021|title=Thacker Pass Lithium Mine Udate|work=The Sierra Nevada Ally|url=https://www.sierranevadaally.org/2021/08/28/thacker-pass-lithium-mine-update/}}</ref> People of Red Mountain is not a federally recognized tribe so it has no legal standing.{{r|RGJ 2021-09-06}} The tribes are demanding consultation under the Archaeological Resource Protection Act.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Turner|first=Kelsey|date=December 10, 2021|title=Tribes Claim BLM Violated Multiple Federal Laws in Permitting Thacker Pass Lithium Mine in Nevada |url=https://news.yahoo.com/tribes-claim-blm-violated-multiple-155644779.html|access-date=2021-12-16|agency=Yahoo News |work=Native News Online|language=en-US}}</ref>

The Fort McDermitt Tribal Council initially had a project engagement agreement with Lithium Americas but the council withdrew from that agreement and agreed to sue the Bureau of Land Management for violations of the National Historic Preservation Act after a petition organised by the People of Red Mountain.<ref name=":02">{{Cite news|last=Bahouth|first=Brian|date=April 8, 2021|title=Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone tribal members protest Thacker Pass lithium mine|url=https://sierranevadaally.org/2021/04/08/fort-mcdermitt-paiute-shoshone-tribal-members-protest-thacker-pass-lithium-mine/|access-date=April 17, 2021}}</ref> This lawsuit was never filed.

In July, 2021 Chief United States District Judge Miranda Du ruled that Lithium America may excavate archaeological trenches at the site, as the environmental groups could not show irreparable harm would be caused by the digging.<ref name="reuters25July2021">{{cite news|last1=Scheyder|first1=Ernest|date=July 25, 2021|title=US judge rules Lithium Americas may excavate Nevada mine site|agency={{wipe|Reuters}}|editor1-last=Lewis|editor1-first=Matthew|url=https://www.mining.com/web/us-judge-rules-lithium-americas-may-excavate-nevada-mine-site/|access-date=July 29, 2021|editor2-first=Leslie|editor2-last=Adler}}</ref> The digging will be less than 1/4 acre and will be used to determine whether cultural artifacts exist within the proposed project area.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sonner|first1=Scott|date=July 26, 2021|title=Judge denies environmentalists' request to block digging at Thacker Pass lithium mine|newspaper=Reno Gazette-Journal|url=https://www.rgj.com/story/news/2021/07/26/judge-denies-environmentalists-request-block-digging-thacker-pass-lithium-mine/5378334001/|access-date=July 29, 2021}}</ref>

In September, the judge also ruled against tribes' claims that a historical massacre occurred in Thacker Pass and refused to grant their request for a preliminary injunction to stop excavation for cultural resources. She stated that while she found their spiritual distress persuasive, they did not show sufficiently specific irreparable harm.{{r|RGJ 2021-09-06}} She also stated that "the evidence before the Court does not support [plaintiffs'] claims...the 1868 field notes do not show a massacre happened within the Project area."<ref>{{cite web |title=Bartell Ranch LLC v. U.S. Department of Interior(BLM)|url=https://www.keepandshare.com/doc18/24788/judge-du-pi-denial-2-9-3-21-pdf-616k?da=y |publisher=Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) |access-date=October 10, 2021}}</ref> In November 2023, she again dismissed the claim but left open the possibility an amended filing, stating: "Given that the court has now twice agreed with federal defendants (and) plaintiffs did not vary their argument ... the court is skeptical that plaintiffs could successfully amend it. But skeptical does not mean futile".<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-11-17 |title=Judge rules against tribes in fight over Nevada lithium mine they say is near sacred massacre site |language=en-US |work=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/11/16/lithium-mine-tribes-climate-energy-lawsuit-nevada/b330e708-84d0-11ee-924c-6e6807155e36_story.html |access-date=2023-11-18 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

On October 5, 2021, Tribal lawyers filed a motion asking the judge to reconsider the opinion that the massacre did not occur at Thacker Pass.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Sonner|first=Scott|date=October 5, 2021|title=Tribes: New evidence proves massacre was at Nevada mine site|work=Associated Press|url=https://apnews.com/article/business-lithium-corp-nevada-reno-native-americans-0057adec1750407e862e547a362d3aa8}}</ref> This motion was denied on November 8, and the judge stated: "the proffered newly discovered evidence is too speculative to support an irreparable harm finding".<ref>{{cite web |title=Denial of Request for Reconsideration of Preliminary Injunction| url=https://github.com/domesticlithium/lawsuits/blob/main/10459126-0--78130.pdf |publisher=Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) |access-date=11 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Sonner|first=Scott|date=November 12, 2021|title=US judge won't reconsider tribes' bid to block Nevada mine|agency=Associated Press|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/us-judge-reconsider-tribes-bid-block-nevada-mine-81118056
}}</ref>

The Archeological Resources Protection permit, issued in September 2021,<ref name="ThisIsReno Permit Issued 01Oct-21">{{Cite news |last=Chadwell |first=Jeri |date=October 1, 2021 |title=Permit issued for archaeological survey at proposed lithium mine site |work=ThisIsReno-Local News & Events |url=https://thisisreno.com/2021/10/permit-issued-for-archaeological-survey-at-proposed-lithium-mine-site/ |access-date=February 28, 2022}}</ref> required additional approval and on December 16, 2021,<ref name="#156 Motion to Stay Case Jan03-22">{{cite court|litigants=Bartell Ranch LLC, et al. Vs. Ester M. Mccullough, et al.|court=D. Nev.|reporter=Doc.#156|vol=RSIC Tribal Plaintiffs’ For Stay Pending Appeal|opinion=|pinpoint=|date=January 3, 2022|url=https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59247337/156/bartell-ranch-llc-v-mccullough/ |quote=}} [https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59247337/bartell-ranch-llc-v-mccullough / Court Listener 3:21-cv-00080]</ref> the Bureau of Land Management signed off on the final Field Work Authorization allowing excavation work to proceed in Thacker Pass. 
On December 17, 2021, a letter was delivered to the people of Red Mountain notifying the group that Falk and co-counsel Terry Lodge planned on filing a motion to withdraw as attorneys on January 7, 2022, citing irreconcilable differences.<ref name="#163 Falk-Motion to Withdraw Jan07-22">{{cite court|reporter=Doc.#163   |vol=RSIC Motion to Withdraw as People of Red Mountain’S Counsel|opinion=|pinpoint=|date=January 7, 2022  |url=https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59247337/163/bartell-ranch-llc-v-mccullough/ |litigants=Bartell Ranch LLC, et al. Vs. Ester M. Mccullough, et al.|court=D. Nev.|quote=}} [https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59247337/bartell-ranch-llc-v-mccullough/ Court Listener 3:21-cv-00080]</ref>
On January 3, 2022, the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, the remaining tribe represented in the lawsuit by Falk and Lodge, applied,<ref name="#156 Motion to Stay Case Jan03-22" /> alongside the Burns Paiute Tribe, to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for reconsideration of previous preliminary injunction requests<ref name="#92-NEWS Motion Denied PI#45 Sep7-21">{{cite web |last=Fletcher |first=Matthew L.M. |date=September 7, 2021 |title=Nevada Federal Court Declines to Enjoin Lithium Mine Opposed by Nevada Tribes |url=https://turtletalk.blog/2021/09/07/federal-court-declines-to-enjoin-lithium-mine-opposed-by-nevada-tribes/ |access-date=February 28, 2022 |publisher=Turtle Talk-Indian Legal Issues}}</ref><ref name="#117-NEWS Motion Denied PI#96 9-Nov-21">{{cite web |last=Fletcher |first=Matthew L.M. |date=November 9, 2021 |title=Nevada Federal Court Declines Reconsideration Motion in Lithium Case |url=https://turtletalk.blog/2021/11/09/nevada-federal-court-declines-reconsideration-motion-in-lithium-case/ |access-date=February 28, 2022 |publisher=Turtle Talk-Indian Legal Issues}}</ref> that would have prevented the now fully permitted digging from going ahead. The stay pending the appeal was denied by Chief Judge Miranda Du of the District Court of Nevada on January 12, 2022.<ref name="#165 Motion Denied to Stay Case Jan12-22">{{cite court|reporter=Doc.#165 |vol=Order: Motion Denied to Stay Case Pending Appeal(#156)|opinion=|pinpoint=|date=January 12, 2022 |url=https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59247337/165/bartell-ranch-llc-v-mccullough/ |litigants=Bartell Ranch LLC, et al. Vs. Ester M. Mccullough, et al.|court=D. Nev.|quote=}} [https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59247337/bartell-ranch-llc-v-mccullough/ Court Listener 3:21-cv-00080]</ref>

On January 26, 2022, Falk, Lodge, and local counsel Julie Cavanaugh-Bill were formally granted withdrawal as attorneys for the People of Red Mountain. Cavanaugh-Bill also withdrew from representing the Reno Sparks Indian Colony.<ref name="#175 Motion Granted-Withdrawal Jan26-22">{{cite court|reporter=Doc.#175   |vol=RSIC: Motion To Withdraw Counsel Granted |opinion=|pinpoint=|date=January 26, 2022  |url=https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59247337/175/bartell-ranch-llc-v-mccullough/ |litigants=Bartell Ranch LLC, et al. Vs. Ester M. Mccullough, et al.|court=D. Nev.|quote=}}>  [https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59247337/bartell-ranch-llc-v-mccullough/ Court Listener 3:21-cv-00080]</ref>
The next day, an article describing the acrimonious split, stated that the People of Red Mountain fired Falk because Falk and Wilbert, co-founders of 'Protect Thacker Pass', are also members of Deep Green Resistance (DGR), and there were concerns over DGR's beliefs about transgenderism. Further articles followed on the rift.<ref name="Gizmodo PRM-DGR Feb09-22">{{Cite news |last=Taft |first=Molly |date=February 9, 2022 |title=The Environmental Movement Isn't Ready for Transphobia |work=Gizmodo |url=https://gizmodo.com/the-environmental-movement-isn-t-ready-for-transphobia-1848505309 |access-date=February 25, 2021}}</ref><ref name="NevInd PRM Rift Feb03-22">{{cite web |last=Rothberg |first=Daniel |date=February 3, 2022 |title=Thacker Pass mine project remains in court battle amid rift in opposition |url=https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/thacker-pass-mine-project-case-remains-in-court-battle-amid-rift-in-opposition |access-date=February 28, 2022 |website=nevadaindependent.com}}</ref><ref name="LGBTNation PRM-DGR Feb12-22">{{Cite news |last=Sprayregen |first=Molly |date=February 12, 2022 |title=Environmental group's hatred of trans people is stalling a fight against a Nevada mine |work=LGBTQNation |url=https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/02/environmental-groups-hatred-trans-people-stalling-fight-nevada-mine/ |access-date=February 25, 2021}}</ref>

On February 11, 2022, the Winnemucca Indian Colony<ref name="#180 WIC Decl. of Judy Rojo Feb11-22">{{cite court|litigants=Bartell Ranch LLC, et al. Vs. Ester M. Mccullough, et al.|court=D. Nev.|reporter=Doc.#180|vol=WIC: Motion To Intervene|opinion=|pinpoint=|date=February 11, 2022|url=https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59247337/180/bartell-ranch-llc-v-mccullough/|quote=The Colony is a federally recognized Tribe loated in Winnemucca, Nevada. The Colony consists of 28 members whose ancestors derive from the Paiute and Shoshone Nations}} [https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59247337/bartell-ranch-llc-v-mccullough/ Court Listener 3:21-cv-00080]</ref> filed a motion to intervene in the lawsuits,<ref name="ThisIsReno -Winnemucca Feb14-22">{{cite web |last1=Hackbarth |first1=Kristen |date=February 14, 2022 |title=Winnemucca Colony joins Thacker Pass lawsuit |url=https://thisisreno.com/2022/02/winnemucca-colony-joins-thacker-pass-lawsuit/ |access-date=February 20, 2022 |website=This Is Reno}}</ref><ref name="#179 WIC Motion to Intervene Feb11-22">{{cite court|litigants=Bartell Ranch LLC, et al. Vs. Ester M. Mccullough, et al.|court=D. Nev.|reporter=Doc.#179|vol=WIC: Motion To Intervene|opinion=|pinpoint=|date=February 11, 2022|url=https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59247337/179/bartell-ranch-llc-v-mccullough/|quote=}} [https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59247337/bartell-ranch-llc-v-mccullough/ Court Listener 3:21-cv-00080]</ref> claiming lack of consultation prior to the January 15, 2021 Record of Decision.<ref name="Nevada Ally - ROD Jan15-21">{{cite web |date=January 15, 2021    |url=https://www.sierranevadaally.org/2021/01/15/blm-approves-thacker-pass-lithium-mine/ |title=BLM approves Thacker Pass Lithium mine near Winnemucca, Nevada |website=Sierra Nevada Ally |last1=Bahouth |first1=Brian |access-date=February 2, 2022}}</ref> The BLM's communications to the local tribes, including the Winnemucca Indian Colony began in 2019 according to court filings.<ref name="#65-8 3 Letters from BLM Dec12-19">{{cite court|reporter=Doc.#65-8  |vol=BLM December 12, 2019, Initiating Consultation Letter to Tribes for the Thacker Pass Lithium Project  |opinion=page 8|pinpoint=|date=August 12, 2021 |url=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/domesticlithium/lawsuits/main/august_12/65-8.pdf#page=8&zoom=80 |litigants=Bartell Ranch LLC, et al. Vs. Ester M. Mccullough, et al.|court=D. Nev.|quote=}} [https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59247337/bartell-ranch-llc-v-mccullough/ Court Listener 3:21-cv-00080]</ref><ref name="#65-12 3 Letters from BLM Jul29-20">{{cite court|reporter=Doc.#65-12 |vol=BLM July 29, 2020, Letters to Tribes Soliciting Comments on the Thacker Pass Lithium Project Draft EIS|opinion=page 27|pinpoint=|date=August 12, 2021 |url=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/domesticlithium/lawsuits/main/august_12/65-12.pdf#page=27&zoom=80 |litigants=Bartell Ranch LLC, et al. Vs. Ester M. Mccullough, et al.|court=D. Nev.|quote=}} [https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59247337/bartell-ranch-llc-v-mccullough/ Court Listener 3:21-cv-00080]</ref><ref name="#65-13 3 Letters from BLM Jul29-20">{{cite court|reporter=Doc.#65-13 |vol=BLM November 30, 2020, Letters to Tribes Soliciting Comments on the Thacker Pass Lithium Project Final EIS|opinion=page 6|pinpoint=line|date=August 12, 2021 |url=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/domesticlithium/lawsuits/main/august_12/65-13.pdf#page=6&zoom=80 |litigants=Bartell Ranch LLC, et al. Vs. Ester M. Mccullough, et al.|court=D. Nev.|quote=}} [https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59247337/bartell-ranch-llc-v-mccullough/ Court Listener 3:21-cv-00080]</ref><ref name="#65 BLM Oppose PI#45 Aug12-21">{{cite court|litigants=Bartell Ranch LLC, et al. Vs. Ester M. Mccullough, et al.|court=D. Nev.|reporter=Doc.#65|vol=BLM Oppose Motion for Prelim. Injunc.(#45)|opinion=page 14|pinpoint=line 16|date=August 12, 2021|url=https://turtletalk.files.wordpress.com/2021/09/65-federal-response.pdf#page=14&search=II&zoom=80|quote=Consistent with its usual practice, BLM initiated formal consultation prior to scoping with three local tribes—the Fort McDermitt Tribe, Summit Lake Paiute Tribe, and Winnemucca Indian Colony—via letter dated December 12, 2019}} [https://turtletalk.blog/2021/09/07/federal-court-declines-to-enjoin-lithium-mine-opposed-by-nevada-tribes/ Turtle Talk 3:21-cv-00080]</ref> The {{convert|320|acre||adj=mid|colony}} has been the center of a decades-long fight concerning its council's legitimacy, tribal membership eligibility disputes and legal cases involving the Bureau of Indian Affairs,<ref name="WIC Ninth Circuit Jun09-20">{{cite web |last=Fletcher |first=Matthew L.M. |date=June 9, 2020 |title=Ninth Circuit Briefs in Winnemucca Indian Colony v. United States [leadership dispute] |url=https://turtletalk.blog/2020/06/09/ninth-circuit-briefs-in-winnemucca-indian-colony-v-united-states-leadership-dispute/ |access-date=March 1, 2022 |publisher=Turtle Talk-Indian Legal Issues}}</ref> the tribal council and colony residents.<ref name="KUNR Public Radio Feb10-22">{{cite web |last=Sagrero |first=Gustavo |date=Feb 10, 2022 |title='Land protectors' step in as buffer while Winnemucca Indian Colony dispute simmers |url=https://www.kunr.org/local-stories/2022-02-10/land-protectors-winnemucca-indian-colony-dispute |access-date=March 1, 2022 |publisher=KUNR Public Radio}}</ref><ref name="NevInd WIC May17–20">{{cite web |last=Meuller |first=Tabitha |date=May 17, 2020 |title=Residents fear loss of homes during disputed clean-up effort at Winnemucca Indian Colony |url=https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/residents-fear-loss-of-homes-during-disputed-clean-up-effort-at-winnemucca-indian-colony |access-date=March 1, 2022 |publisher=The Nevada Independent}}</ref>

On March 11, 2022, the District Court of Nevada denied the Winnemucca Indian Colony's motion to intervene in the lawsuits.<ref name="NevCur-WIC-Motion Denied Mar2022">{{cite news |date=March 15, 2022 |title=Federal judge rejects NV tribe's attempt to join lithium mine suit |url=https://www.nevadacurrent.com/2022/03/15/federal-judg-rejects-nv-tribes-attempt-to-join-lithium-mine-suit/ |access-date=December 27, 2022 |work=The Nevada Current |first=Jennifer |last=Solis }}</ref> Judge Du ruled that the motion was untimely, prejudicial to other parties and that Winnemucca Indian Colony should have acted much sooner if they believed their interests might be adversely affected.<ref name="#197 WIC Motion Denied Mar2022">{{cite court |date=March 11, 2022 |vol=ORDER: Winnemucca Indian Colony's Motion To Intervene is Denied |url=https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59247337/197/bartell-ranch-llc-v-mccullough/ |opinion= |reporter=Doc.#197 |court=D. Nev. |litigants=Bartell Ranch LLC, et al. Vs. Ester M. Mccullough, et al. |pinpoint= |quote= }}[https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59247337/bartell-ranch-llc-v-mccullough/ Court Listener 3:21-cv-00080]</ref>
 
In March 2022, a magistrate judge ordered that if People of Red Mountain failed to obtain counsel by May 2, 2022, the court will recommend that their claims be dismissed.<ref name="#195 PRM File or Dismiss Mar2022">{{cite court |date=March 7, 2022 |vol=Red Mountain shall file a substitution of counsel on or before Monday, May 2, 2022 |url=https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59247337/195/bartell-ranch-llc-v-mccullough/ |opinion= |reporter=Doc.#195 |court=D. Nev. |litigants=Bartell Ranch LLC, et al. Vs. Ester M. Mccullough, et al. |pinpoint= |quote= }}[https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59247337/bartell-ranch-llc-v-mccullough/ Court Listener 3:21-cv-00080]</ref> No new counsel had appeared before the court by that date, resulting in a  magistrate judge issuing a Report and Recommendation<ref name="#222 PRM Case Dismissed May2022">{{cite court |date=May 5, 2022 |vol=Report And Recommendation to dismiss Red Mountain's claims |url=https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59247337/222/bartell-ranch-llc-v-mccullough/ |opinion= |reporter=Doc.#222 |court=D. Nev. |litigants=Bartell Ranch LLC, et al. Vs. Ester M. Mccullough, et al. |pinpoint= |quote=To date, no counsel has appeared for Red Mountain.Therefore, this Court recommends that Red Mountain be dismissed from this action, without prejudice. }}[https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59247337/bartell-ranch-llc-v-mccullough/ Court Listener 3:21-cv-00080]</ref> to dismiss the group's claims without prejudice.<ref name="#228 PRM Dismissed May2022">{{cite court |date=May 20, 2022 |vol=Atsa Koodakuh Wyh Nuwu/People of Red Mountain is dismissed without prejudice. |url=https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59247337/228/bartell-ranch-llc-v-mccullough/ |opinion= |reporter=Doc.#228 |court=D. Nev. |litigants=Bartell Ranch LLC, et al. Vs. Ester M. Mccullough, et al. |pinpoint= |quote= }}[https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59247337/bartell-ranch-llc-v-mccullough/ Court Listener 3:21-cv-00080]</ref>

On April 4, 2022, the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony and Burns Paiute Tribe dropped their appeal to the United States Ninth Circuit for reconsideration of previous preliminary injunction requests.<ref name="#201 RSIC Appeal Drop Apr22">{{cite court |date=April 5, 2022 |vol=ORDER: Reno-Sparks Indian Colony and Burns Paiute Tribe - appeal dropped |url=https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59247337/201/bartell-ranch-llc-v-mccullough/ |opinion= |reporter=Doc.#201 |court=D. Nev. |litigants=Bartell Ranch LLC, et al. Vs. Ester M. Mccullough, et al. |pinpoint= |quote= }}[https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59247337/bartell-ranch-llc-v-mccullough/ Court Listener 3:21-cv-00080]</ref>

In October 2022, the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe signed a [[Social:Community Benefits Agreement|Community Benefits Agreement]] (CBA) with Lithium Americas establishing a collaborative framework and defining the long-term benefits for the tribe. The Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe, are located {{convert|35|mi}} north of Thacker Pass and the closest Native American community to the project.<ref name="Local Tribe Signs LNC Agreement Oct2022">{{cite news |date=October 25, 2022 |title=Lithium Americas signs agreement with local tribe |url=https://elkodaily.com/mining/lithium-americas-signs-agreement-with-local-tribe/article_a7e6d900-5418-11ed-9e4f-1f9853aa0ad0.html |access-date=December 27, 2022 |work=Elko Daily Free Press |first=Timothy |last=Burmeister }}</ref>

===Nevada state environmental permits===
On February 25, 2022, the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) issued three permits for the Thacker Pass lithium mine.<ref name="NDEP 3 Permits Feb2022">{{cite web |date=February 25, 2022 |title=NDEP Thacker Pass Lithium Mine - Permit Status |url=https://ndep.nv.gov/land/thacker-pass-project |access-date=December 31, 2022 |publisher=Nevada Division of Environmental Protection }}</ref> 
# Air Pollution Control Permit.<ref name="Nevada Air Permit Feb2022">{{cite web |date=February 25, 2022 |title=Notice of Final Decision - Air Pollution Control Permit - Thacker Pass Project |url=https://ndep.nv.gov/uploads/land-mining-docs/Final_Water_Permit.pdf |access-date=December 31, 2022 |publisher=Nevada Division of Environmental Protection }}</ref><ref name="Nevada Air Permit Tech Feb2022">{{cite web |date=February 25, 2022 |title=Air Pollution Control Permit - Tech Review - Thacker Pass Project |url=https://ndep.nv.gov/uploads/land-mining-docs/BAPC_-_Thacker_Pass_-_220225_-_Tech_Review_Signed.pdf |access-date=December 31, 2022 |publisher=Nevada Division of Environmental Protection }}</ref> 
# Water Pollution Control Permit.<ref name="Nevada Water Permit Feb2022">{{cite web |date=February 25, 2022 |title=Water Pollution Control Permit - Thacker Pass Project |url=https://ndep.nv.gov/uploads/documents/NEV2020104pFY22.pdf |access-date=December 31, 2022 |publisher=Nevada Division of Environmental Protection }}</ref>
# Mining Reclamation Permit.<ref name="Nevada Reclamation Feb2022">{{cite web |date=February 25, 2022 |title=Notice of Final Decision - Reclamation Permit - Thacker Pass Project |url=https://ndep.nv.gov/uploads/land-mining-docs/Notice_of_Decisions.pdf |access-date=December 31, 2022 |publisher=Nevada Division of Environmental Protection }}</ref><ref name="Nevada Reclamation Permit Feb2022">{{cite web |date=February 25, 2022 |title=Reclamation Permit - Thacker Pass Project |url=https://ndep.nv.gov/uploads/documents/0415_frpFY22.pdf |access-date=December 31, 2022 |publisher=Nevada Division of Environmental Protection }}</ref>

Lithium Americas stated that these were the final state-level permits necessary for the project.<ref name="TP Permits Approved Feb2022">{{cite news |date=February 25, 2022 |title=Permits approved for Thacker Pass lithium mine |url=https://elkodaily.com/mining/permits-approved-for-thacker-pass-lithium-mine/article_5393b9a5-5282-5b25-a499-50fe50102302.html |access-date=December 31, 2022 |first=Timothy |last=Burmeister }}</ref><ref name="RGJ -NDEP Permits Issued Feb2022">{{cite web |date=February 25, 2022 |title=Thacker Pass mine one step closer to operations as state issues final environmental permits |url=https://www.rgj.com/story/news/2022/02/25/state-issues-environmental-permits-controversial-nevada-lithium-mine/6898948001/ |access-date=December 31, 2022 |first1=Amy |last1=Alonzo }}</ref>
The Water Pollution Control Permit, which only allows Lithium Nevada to mine  above the water table,<ref name="RGJ -NDEP Permits Issued Feb2022"/> was challenged<ref name="TP Permits Challenged Mar2022">{{cite news |date=March 10, 2022 |title=Thacker Pass water pollution permit challenged |url=https://elkodaily.com/mining/thacker-pass-water-pollution-permit-challenged/article_2e4cb444-ef8e-56f1-9ba0-01b21d049dd1.html |access-date=December 31, 2022 |first=Timothy |last=Burmeister }}</ref> in March 2022 by an environmental group, Great Basin Resource Watch (GBRW), who filed an appeal<ref name="SEC Permit Hearing Jun2022">{{cite web |date=June 28, 2022 |title=Lithium Nevada Corp Water Pollution Control Permit - SEC Hearing NEV2020104 |url=https://www.sec.nv.gov/meetings/lithium-nevada-corp-water-pollution-control-permit-nev2020104 |access-date=December 31, 2022 |publisher=Nevada State Environmental Commission }}</ref> with the Nevada State Environmental Commission (SEC). 
On June 28, 2022, the SEC five-member panel voted to affirm<ref name="SEC Permit Appeal Verdict Jul2022">{{cite web |date=July 8, 2022 |title=SEC Order Affirming NDEP Decision to Issue Water Pollution Control Permit - Thacker Pass Project |url=https://sec.nv.gov/uploads/Appeal-Lithium-Nevada-0622/Thacker_Pass_-_Order_on_Appeal.pdf |access-date=December 31, 2022 |publisher=Nevada State Environmental Commission }}</ref> NDEP's approval of the Water Pollution Control Permit.<ref name="TP Permits Affirmed Jun2022">{{cite news |date=June 30, 2022 |title=Thacker Pass permit affirmed by Environmental Commission |url=https://elkodaily.com/mining/thacker-pass-permit-affirmed-by-environmental-commission/article_39ebabe6-f8d9-11ec-84ff-33f2c0cc46b5.html |access-date=December 31, 2022 |first=Timothy |last=Burmeister }}</ref>

===Federal eagle take permit===
On March 8, 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published its Record of Decision<ref name="USFWS News-Eagle Permit">{{cite web |title=Thacker Pass Lithium Mine Project - Eagle Permit NEPA Documents |url=https://www.fws.gov/media/thacker-pass-lithium-mine-project-eagle-permit-nepa-documents |access-date=December 31, 2022 |publisher=U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service }}</ref><ref name="USFWS Eagle ROD Mar2022">{{cite tech report |date=March 8, 2022 |title=Lithium Nevada Corporation - Record Of Decision For the Eagle Take Permit and Eagle Conservation Plan |url=https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ROD-FWS-Thacker-Pass-eagle-permit.pdf#page=1&zoom=90 |page=1 |access-date=December 31, 2022 |publisher=U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service }}</ref> for Lithium Nevada Corporation's (LNC) Eagle Take Permit Application and Eagle Conservation Plan.<ref name="LNC Eagle Conserv. Plan Mar2022">{{cite tech report |date=March 8, 2022 |title=Lithium Nevada Corporation - Thacker Pass Project - Eagle Conservation Plan |url=https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ROD-FWS-Thacker-Pass-eagle-permit.pdf#page=86&zoom=90 |page=86 |access-date=December 31, 2022 |publisher=U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service }}</ref>
The [[Earth:Environmental impact statement|Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)]] found three occupied golden eagle territories overlapping the project area and a fourth closely adjoining it.<ref name="FEIS Appx.A Eagle Map Dec2020">{{cite tech report |date=December 4, 2020 |title=Thacker Pass Lithium Mine-Final Environmental Impact Statement(FEIS) Appx.A Fig.4.5-16 Golden Eagle Survey Area, Territories and Nests |url=https://eplanning.blm.gov/public_projects/1503166/200352542/20030647/250036846/Thacker%20Pass_FEIS_Apx%20A_Figures_508.pdf#page=49&zoom=100 |page=49 |access-date=December 31, 2022 |publisher=Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |number=DOI-BLM-NV-W010-2020-0012-EIS }}</ref> 
No eagle nests were found within the Thacker Pass mine project area,<ref name="USFWS Eagle ROD Mar2022"/> and the USFWS intend to issue an eagle incidental take permit<ref name="USFWS Incidental Take">{{cite web |title=USFWS Eagle Take Permit - Incidental Take |url=https://www.fws.gov/service/3-200-71-eagle-take-associated-not-purpose-activity-incidental-take |access-date=December 31, 2022 |publisher=U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service }}</ref> to LNC relating to noise disturbance in a territory encompassing Thacker Canyon.

==Protests==
Two members of [[Organization:Deep Green Resistance|Deep Green Resistance]] (DGR), a radical environmental group, began occupying Thacker Pass on January 15, 2021,<ref name="PTPCamp-Jan2021">{{cite web |date=Jan 25, 2021 |title=Open letter to BLM |url=https://www.protectthackerpass.org/open-letter-to-the-blm/ |access-date=December 29, 2022 |publisher=Protect Thacker Pass |first1=Max |last1=Wilbert }}</ref> the day the Record of Decision was issued for the proposed mine.<ref name="BLM-ROD-Press-Jan2020">{{cite web |date=January 15, 2021 |title=Humboldt River Field Office issues a Record of Decision for the Thacker Pass Lithium Mine |url=https://www.blm.gov/press-release/humboldt-river-field-office-issues-record-decision-thacker-pass-lithium-mine |access-date=December 29, 2022 |publisher=Bureau of Land Management }}</ref><ref name="BLM-ROD-Jan2020">{{cite web |date=January 15, 2021 |title=Thacker Pass Lithium Mine Project - Record Of Decision and Plan of Operations Approval |url=https://eplanning.blm.gov/public_projects/1503166/200352542/20033308/250039507/Thacker_Pass_Project_ROD_signed_2021-01-15.pdf |access-date=December 29, 2021 |publisher=Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service }}</ref>
Max Wilbert and attorney Will Falk set up the 'Protect Thacker Pass' camp, supported by DGR funding, to oppose construction of the lithium mine.<ref name="EENews-DGR-Split-Jan2022">{{cite news |date=January 27, 2022 |title=How an 'anti-trans' group split the fight against a lithium mine |url=https://www.eenews.net/articles/how-an-anti-trans-group-split-the-fight-against-a-lithium-mine/ |access-date=December 29, 2022 |work=E&E News |first=Jael |last=Holzman }}</ref>

Mine opponents have concerns about the lack of [[Philosophy:Free, prior and informed consent|free, prior, and informed indigenous consent]] for the project; destruction of sacred sites and hunting and gathering areas;<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":2" /> and [[Social:Greenwashing|greenwashing]] of the project.<ref>{{Cite news|date=January 19, 2021|title=Thacker Pass Lithium mine approval draws around-the-clock protest|work=Sierra Nevada Ally|url=https://sierranevadaally.org/2021/01/19/thacker-pass-lithium-mine-approval-draws-around-the-clock-protest/|access-date=March 16, 2021}}</ref>

On April 10, 2021, over 60 people from different reservations in the region came to Thacker Pass to demonstrate their opposition to the mine by praying, dancing, and sharing food with local people and protesters occupying the site. Indigenous people attending that event said there were sacred sites in the area including burials and also a massacre site from which the location derives its name in the Paiute language. They also demonstrated concerns about public health, water quality, air quality, and lack of indigenous consent for the project.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|last=Bahouth|first=Brian|date=April 13, 2021|title=Native Americans converge at proposed Thacker Pass lithium mine site: Four audio interviews|work=Siera Nevada Ally|url=https://sierranevadaally.org/2021/04/13/native-americans-converge-at-proposed-thacker-pass-lithium-mine-site/|access-date=April 17, 2021}}</ref>

On June 12, 2021, hundreds of people attended a rally in Reno, Nevada to protest the Thacker Pass lithium mine.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bean |first=Jason |date=June 12, 2021 |title=Photos: Hundreds gather in Reno to protest the proposed Thacker Pass lithium mine |work=Reno Gazette Journal |url=https://www.rgj.com/picture-gallery/news/2021/06/13/hundreds-gather-protest-proposed-thacker-pass-lithium-mine/7674228002/}}</ref>

In January 2022, Gary McKinney, a spokesperson for the People of Red Mountain, said they had recently removed their protest camp from Thacker Pass and split from joint opposition with Falk and Wilbert over concerns regarding their links to Deep Green Resistance.<ref name="EENews-DGR-Split-Jan2022"/><ref name="Gizmodo-PRM-DGR-Split-Feb2022">{{cite news |date=February 9, 2022 |title=The Environmental Movement Isn't Ready for Transphobia |url=https://gizmodo.com/the-environmental-movement-isn-t-ready-for-transphobia-1848505309 |access-date=December 29, 2021 |work=Gizmodo |first=Molly |last=Taft }}</ref> 
Ian Bigley, Mining Justice Organizer for the Progressive Leadership Alliance (PLAN) of Nevada, who visited the 'Protect Thacker Pass' camp,<ref name="RenoNews&Review-Apr2021">{{cite news |date=April 26, 2021 |title=The Lithium Paradox |url=https://renonr.com/2021/04/26/the-lithium-paradox/ |access-date=December 29, 2022 |work=Reno News & Review |first=Frank |last=X. Mullen }}</ref> said that he felt misled regarding its ties with DGR, and that the association was hindering donations opposing the mine.<ref name="EENews-DGR-Split-Jan2022"/>
Kelly Fuller, then Energy and Mining Campaign Director for the Western Watersheds Project, one of the environmental groups suing the BLM over the project, also commented on the cost of having DGR involved.{{r| EENews-DGR-Split-Jan2022 |p=1|q=The fact that we're trying to tie ourselves into knots around this speaks to the real cost of having them involved}}<ref name="LASun Opposition-Mar2022">{{cite news |date=March 4, 2022 |title=News reports to the contrary, opposition to proposed Northern Nevada lithium mine continues |url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/2022/mar/04/news-reports-to-the-contrary-opposition-to-propose/ |access-date=December 29, 2022 |work=Las Vegas Sun |first=Jessica |last=Hill }}</ref>    
Wilbert and Falk took down their protest camp after the BLM fined<ref name="PTP-Fined-BLM-Sep2021">{{cite web |date=September 29, 2021 |title=Feds slap fines on Thacker Pass protestors |url=https://nevadanewspress.com/feds-slap-fines-on-thacker-pass-protestors/ |access-date=December 29, 2022 |publisher=Nevada News Press |first1=Juan |last1=Vargas }}</ref> the two men for trespassing and digging latrines at the site in September 2021.{{r| EENews-DGR-Split-Jan2022 |p=1|q=The pair dismantled their initial camp after BLM in September fined the two men nearly $50,000 for trespassing and building latrines at the site, Wilbert said.}}

== Responses ==
''The New York Times'' reported that "the fight over the Nevada mine is emblematic of a fundamental tension surfacing around the world: Electric cars and renewable energy may not be as green as they appear".{{r|NYT 2021-05-06}}

In May, 2021, a group of Fort McDermitt Paiute-Shoshone tribal members, calling themselves People of Red Mountain, petitioned the United States Department of the Interior and others to halt construction of the lithium mine at Thacker Pass. Their petition states that Thacker Pass is a massacre site, contains ancestral burials, is sacred to their people, and is "essential to the survival of our traditions."<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|last=People of Red Mountain|date=May 20, 2021|title=People of Red Mountain Statement of Opposition to Lithium Nevada Corp's Proposed Thacker Pass Open Pit Lithium Mine|work=Sierra Nevada Ally|url=https://www.sierranevadaally.org/2021/05/20/people-of-red-mountain-statement-of-opposition-to-lithium-nevada-corps-proposed-thacker-pass-open-pit-lithium-mine/}}</ref>

In an opinion piece for a local newspaper, protest organizer Max Wilbert has cited research linking large infrastructure projects such as mines with violence against Indigenous women, and pointed to recent cases of sexual violence at the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline where contractors were arrested in a sex trafficking sting.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Wilbert|first=Max|date=March 2021|title=Dispatches from Thacker Pass – More Mining Leads to More Sexual Abuse and Missing Women|work=Sierra Nevada Ally|url=https://www.sierranevadaally.org/2021/03/24/dispatches-from-thacker-pass-more-mining-leads-to-more-sexual-abuse-and-missing-women/}}</ref>

In October, 2022 the Western Mining Action Network organised an international conference in Reno, NV in which international frontline communities affected by mining called for a just transition to renewable energy that would not threaten Indigenous cultures and the environment and voiced concerns about the development of Thacker Pass lithium mine.<ref name="PDO10-22" /><ref name="Macau10-22" />

In an opinion piece in a local newspaper, Lithium Americas CEO Alexi Zawadzki criticized the protests and reassured concerns about environmental impact. He argued that development of the Thacker Pass lithium deposit would support President Biden's economic security goals, provide jobs, and help the U.S. reach greenhouse gas emission targets.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Zawadzki|first=Alexi|date=April 28, 2021|title=Lithium Nevada Corp's CEO explains the benefits of the Thacker Pass Lithium Project|work=Sierra Nevada Ally|url=http://www.sierranevadaally.org/2021/04/28/lithium-americas-ceo-explains-the-benefits-of-the-thacker-pass-lithium-project/|access-date=May 20, 2021}}</ref> According to reporting in local news, Zawadzki and the company remained in active communication with the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone tribe, and several dozen tribal members had applied for jobs at the mine.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rothberg|first1=Daniel|title=Amid plans to mine lithium in rural Nevada, Indigenous, rural communities at center of the energy transition|url=https://www.nnbw.com/news/2021/jun/22/amid-plans-mine-lithium-rural-nevada-indigenous-ru/|access-date=22 October 2021}}</ref>

In an opinion piece in a local newspaper, Glenn C. Miller, Professor Emeritus of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada Reno wrote "The proposed Thacker Pass mine will be relatively benign in comparison to other large mines in Nevada, primarily gold and copper mines." Miller also stated that no mining below the groundwater level will occur for the first 20 years, though later mining may go below that level. Miller states that there should be an on-going discussion about how the project would change the character of the valley. Miller closes with "The Thacker Pass mine is an important mitigation measure to slowing the U.S. contribution to climate change."<ref>{{cite web |title=The Thacker Pass Mine is Indeed Benign, Compared to Most Gold and Copper Mines in Nevada |first1=Glenn |last1=Miller |work=Sierra Nevada Ally |date=July 20, 2021 |url=https://www.sierranevadaally.org/2021/07/20/the-thacker-pass-mine-is-indeed-benign-compared-to-most-gold-and-copper-mines-in-nevada/ |access-date=July 31, 2021}}</ref>

Max Wilbert, an environmental organizer and protester stated: "A lot of us understand blowing up a mountain for coal mining is wrong; I think blowing up a mountain for lithium mining is just as wrong," and "Electric cars won't actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions that much; they will reduce emissions but not by a sizable amount."{{ r | CNN_2021-12-17 }} However the reporters noted that nearly 30% of US greenhouse gas emissions come from the transportation sector.{{ r | CNN_2021-12-17 }}

Glenn Miller, a retired environmental professor from the University of Nevada Reno stated that it is a "relatively benign mine for its size." and "Those who say it isn't going to make any difference, they're simply wrong," Miller said. "Radical environmentalists are going to argue that the only way to solve the climate change problem is to drive a whole lot less and to not burn gasoline or coal. Well, that's not going to happen -- the demands of society are set so we're going to have to have an active transportation industry."{{ r | CNN_2021-12-17 }}

The CEO of Lithium Americas said that the most important reason to build mines in the US isn't for the direct mining jobs, but rather to create the domestic [[Supply chain|supply chain]] security that thereby enables large numbers of US jobs in battery factories.<ref name=NPR_2022-15-05 >{{ cite news | url=https://www.npr.org/2022/12/05/1140424922/theres-a-lithium-mining-boom-but-its-not-a-jobs-bonanza | title=There's a lithium mining boom, but it's not a jobs bonanza | last=Domonoske  | first=Camila | newspaper=NPR | date= | access-date= | archive-url= | archive-date= | pages= | quote=And Evans, from the Thacker Pass project, says the real value of building mines in the U.S. isn't the mining jobs it creates, but what it enables further down the supply chain, by creating a more secure source for minerals. "All the battery components — cathodes, anodes, the separators, all that stuff — that's going to where the big jobs are going to be," he says. By way of example, he points to a plant LG Chem is launching to build cathodes — battery components — in Tennessee. "You're going to have 2000 people that work there," he says. "But for that cathode factory to work, you need material from the 300 people ... out in northern Nevada." Atlas Public Policy recently tallied up all the announced factories to build electric vehicles and batteries and chargers. They counted 143,575 announced jobs. }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Chemistry:List of countries by lithium production|List of countries by lithium production]]
*List of electric-vehicle-battery manufacturers
*Inflation Reduction Act of 2022
*[[Chemistry:List of elements facing shortage|List of elements facing shortage]]
*Protectionism in the United States

== References ==
{{reflist|refs=

}}

== External links ==
* https://www.marketplace.org/shows/how-we-survive/white-gold/

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thacker Pass Lithium Mine}}
[[Category:Mineral exploration]]

{{Sourceattribution|Thacker Pass Lithium Mine}}