A federal judge on Monday ordered regulators to reexamine a state permit allowing Lithium Americas Corp.’s Thacker Pass mine to produce and store mining waste on more than a thousand acres of public land.
Chief Judge Miranda M. Du, however, rejected opponents’ claims that the project would cause “unnecessary and undue degradation” to the environment or wildlife, meaning construction of the mine can continue.
Jonathan Evans, President and CEO of Lithium Americas, said the ruling reflects the developers “considerable efforts to ensure Thacker Pass is developed responsibly and for the benefit of all stakeholders.”
“The favorable ruling leaves in place the final regulatory approval needed in moving Thacker Pass into construction,” continued Evans in a statement Tuesday.
Canada-based Lithium Americas signaled the company would not appeal the court’s decision and plans to “work closely” with the Bureau of Land Management to complete the required follow-up.
For the rest of this article: https://www.nevadacurrent.com/2023/02/07/thacker-pass-lithium-mine-clears-most-legal-challenges-minus-a-judge-ordered-waste-rock-review/