Dec 123 min read

Lithium

Updated: Dec 13

By Michael Im Dec. 11, 2024

Below the scorching Nevada sun and beneath the drying shrubs, there lies a hidden treasure at Thacker Pass: 13 million tons of lithium ore. Although extracting this lithium would provide enough to create the batteries of a million electric vehicles or 6 billion iPhones, the proposed lithium mine has received extensive resistance from environmentalist and indigenous groups.

Due to being the lightest elemental metal and its singular valence electrum, lithium is commonly used to make the lightest and most energy-efficient batteries currently available. This makes it invaluable for electric vehicles, smartphones and all sorts of lightweight electronics, and especially critical for the modern transition away from fossil fuels, leading to growing demand for it in recent years.

In the past, the vast majority of the world’s lithium was mined in the so-called “Lithium Triangle,” an area divided by the borders between Chile, Bolivia and Argentina. Lithium salts can be found in the vast and dry salt pans of the region, having been brought there by the evaporation of briny water. Other sources of lithium include its chemical extraction from ores, as is done in Australia, the largest producer outside of the Lithium Triangle. However, despite the presence of large deposits across the nation, there is a noticeable lack of lithium mining in the United States, with only one operational lithium mine at Silver Peak, Nevada.

The massive deposit of lithium ore at Thacker Pass was first found in the 1970s by energy companies searching for uranium. The area remained quiet until the 2010s, when drilling recommenced, driven by lithium’s newfound demand. Its development was approved by the Bureau of Land Management in 2021, and construction began in early 2023. Loans from organizations such as the Department of Energy and General Motors have provided funding, although it is expected to be several years until the mine is operational.

The majority of the construction will be of the processing plants, as the Thacker Pass mine is intended to be the first in the world to process lithium from clay deposits containing lithium carbonate. The entire process has been designed to be carbon-neutral, generating its own power. Despite this and the jobs the mine would provide, many locals and environmentalists have protested against its completion.

“The resources gained from lithium mining in the United States should not be prioritized over its environmental hazards, as the process of mining uses a lot of water, and the Southwest is in a serious drought, which could be worsened by mining activity. Mining also may lead to chemicals being released into the soil, contaminating groundwater and hindering plant growth,” Senior Aarush Zarabi said.

Thacker Pass is the traditional home of several local indigenous groups, and some of these groups have demanded either a stop to, or a part in, the construction of the mine. Additionally, environmentalist groups have protested the recent surge in the number of lithium mines worldwide, due to their pollution of local ecosystems and their exploitation of local resources for the benefit of far away corporations.

“The value of lithium outweighs the potential environmental impacts that could result from mining, as long as it is done humanely and there are sufficient regulations to mitigate damage to the environment. In the long run, the efficiency of EV batteries created with mined lithium will be more economically and environmentally beneficial to the country,” Junior Odin Maxwell said.

The Department of Energy has claimed that a completed Thacker Pass mine could reduce gasoline consumption by 317 million gallons per year. The world’s reliance on lithium for batteries is unlikely to change, as electric vehicles, personal electronics, and solar or wind power electrical grids require efficient rechargeable batteries. So as the world moves away from fossil fuels, lithium will most likely help replace them, whether it ends up coming from Thacker Pass or not.

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