The US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Humboldt River Field Office has released the final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Lithium Nevada’s Thacker Pass Lithium Mine.
Located in Humboldt County, Nevada, the Thacker Pass lithium project is planned to be developed in phases and is expected to have a mine life of 46 years.
Production from the first phase of the project is planned to start in 2022 at a rate of 30,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) while the second phase is expected have a production rate of 60,000tpa, starting from 2026.
The final EIS for the Lithium Nevada’s proposed lithium mine, processing plant, and continued exploration at Thacker Pass follows the completion of a comprehensive review of the project’s potential impacts.
Thacker Pass lithium project to create 1,000 construction jobs
Expected to create approximately 1,000 jobs during the construction phase and 300 jobs once operational, the project would include 5,700 acres of public lands within the project area located approximately 17 miles (27.3km) northwest of Orovada.
Lithium Nevada president and CEO Jon Evans said: “The publication of the Final EIS is the culmination of more than a decade of work studying, exploring and developing the Thacker Pass project.
“Thacker Pass has the potential to provide future sources of high-quality lithium chemicals critical for establishing a strong domestic lithium supply chain required to support a low-carbon economy.”
The company is due to receive a Record of Decision (ROD) by the US BLM in early 2021, which is the final step in the Federal permitting process for Thacker Pass mine.
Interior for Land and Minerals Management principal deputy assistant secretary Casey Hammond said: “Under the Trump Administration’s leadership, we are developing reliable domestic sources of lithium and other critical minerals, keeping the United States’ manufacturing capacity competitive and maintaining our nation’s technology and national security edge.”
Earlier this year, the US BLM has released the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for the Thacker Pass Project, for public comment.
