Judge won't reconsider tribes' bid to block Nevada mine

[Dakota Slim]

RENO, Nev. (AP) — A federal judge says additional historical accounts two tribes submitted to prove their claim a lithium mine planned near the Nevada-Oregon line is on sacred lands where their ancestors were massacred in 1865 still falls short of evidence necessary to temporarily block any digging there.

U.S. District Judge Miranda Du refused a request by the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony and the Oregon-based Burns Paiute Tribe this week to reconsider her Sept. 6 ruling denying their bid to halt completion of an archaeological survey necessary before construction of the mine can begin next year.

“While the court agrees (the) additional evidence further highlights the shameful history of the treatment of Native Americans by federal and state governments, it does not persuade the court that it should reconsider,” Du wrote.

Nevada Lithium Corp.’s construction is scheduled to begin earlier next year at Thacker Pass about 230 miles (370 kilometers) northeast of Reno.

It would be the largest lithium mine in the nation. Lithium is a key component in electric vehicle batteries. Demand for the mineral is expected to triple over the next five years.

 

https://mynews4.com/news/local/judge-wont-reconsider-tribes-bid-to-block-nevada-mine

[Bedrock Bob]

I wonder why the tribes would want to halt the archaeological survey?

Seems like the archaeological survey might show there was an important archaeological site there.

...

They are just going to dig a big hole and go broke. They'll leave a big toxic mess for the taxpayer to clean up.

Five or six guys will pay themselves a half million a year with investor's money. A dozen more will get a few months hourly work before they draw unemployment.

They will file bankruptcy, auction the equipment and send sad letters to the investors.

Then they will look for another hole to dig on some other patch of public land. 

Then we can all go down to the mine on the weekends and drink beer and pretend we are lithium miners.

We can gripe about the government and taxes and those less fortunate than us. We can grow beards and speak strange jargon and act really hard and edgy even though we are way past our prime.

We will fly flags and wear guns and drive our big pickup trucks around in the pit until the dust and diesel smoke is so thick you couldn't cut it with a bowie knife.

We might even get a couple fat girls in cutoff britches to dance on top of Elmer's Winnebago. 

darn I love mining! I can't wait for the blasting to begin!

 

 

[Ordinary rock]

That's a shame.  But at least it'll dig up a lot of George Washington's for some one.  That is all that matters anymore right.

[chrisski]

 

The Mine is not built yet.  There's other lithium spread throughout the country that won't get mined:

$1.5 billion lithium deposit discovered in western Maine, but excavating it may be challenging (themainemonitor.org)

On 11/11/2021 at 8:42 PM, Bedrock Bob said:

They are just going to dig a big hole and go broke.

If that is the scenario I expect those getting investors money to go broke long before the heavy equipment is purchased or leased to even start the pit.  Perhaps a few exploratory drills.

Another scenario is the mine provides the lithium needed for the batteries for all these electric cars that will be on the road in two decades.

Edited November 19, 2021 by chrisski