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Some environmentalists worry the Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project could drive a rare wildflower to extinction, highlighting the trade-offs of the energy transition.
But Patrick Donnelly, Great Basin director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said the conservation group plans to challenge the final permit in court. (...) “The Endangered Species Act does not have carve-outs if we really, really want the minerals that are going to drive a species extinct.”
Some environmentalists have also raised alarm about the mine’s water consumption, given a historic drought gripping much of the American West.
The mine is scheduled to become fully operational in 2028;
The Biden administration has taken a flurry of steps to boost domestic mining for lithium and other critical minerals used in green technologies. On Thursday, the Treasury Department also finalized a rule making mines for critical minerals eligible for generous federal tax credits.