Nevada lithium mine wins final approval despite potential harm to endangered wildflower

abcnews.go.com:

For the first time under President Joe Biden, a federal permit for a new lithium mine in the U.S. has been approved

RENO, Nev. — For the first time under President Joe Biden, a federal permit for a new lithium-boron mine has been approved for a Nevada project essential to his clean energy agenda, despite conservationists' vows to sue over the plan they insist will drive an endangered wildflower to extinction.

Ioneer Ltd.'s mine will help expedite production of a key mineral in the manufacture of batteries for electric vehicles at the center of Biden's push to cut greenhouse gas emissions, administration officials said Thursday in Reno.

Acting Deputy Interior Secretary Laura Daniel-Davis said bolstering domestic lithium supplies is «essential to advancing the clean energy transition and powering the economy of the future.”

“This project demonstrates how partnership and collaboration can effectively balance mineral production with the protection of vulnerable species and irreplaceable natural resources,” added Steve Feldgus, principal deputy assistant U.S. interior secretary for land and minerals management.

In the works for nearly eight years, construction of the Rhyolite Ridge mine should start next year in the high desert halfway between Reno and Las Vegas, the Australia-based Ioneer said.

Production is scheduled to begin in 2028 at the mine, which should produce enough lithium for 370,000 vehicles annually for more than two decades, officials said.

It’s unique because it includes a chemical processing facility that will process the lithium on-site instead of having to ship it to China, then back to the U.S. Worldwide demand for lithium is projected to have grown six times by 2030 compared to 2020. The biggest