The mine will become the largest lithium mine in the U.S., and one of the largest lithium sources in the world, within the next few years.

Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities


** Appeals court upholds Thacker Pass approval
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Tuesday, July 18, 2023
Thacker Pass in Nevada, Ian Bigley via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0) ([link removed])

On Monday, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision upholding the approval of the Thacker Pass lithium mine in Nevada. Tribes and conservation groups have been challenging the approval for the past two years ([link removed]) .

A number of Tribes hold the area as sacred; in addition to being currently used for ceremonies and for plant-gathering ([link removed]) , Thacker Pass is also believed to be the potential site of the massacre ([link removed]) of Tribal members by U.S. soldiers in 1865. The Tribes argued that the Bureau of Land Management failed to properly consult them, and violated federal environmental laws when it approved the project. However, the appeals court found that the BLM acted "reasonably and in good faith" in its consultation with Tribes.

Conservation groups had argued that the BLM violated environmental laws when it approved the project, pointing to impacts the project will have on groundwater and on habitat for endangered species and other wildlife and plants. But the 9th Circuit found that the approval "was not arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with" ([link removed]) environmental laws.

The decision did not address arguments ([link removed]) that the approval of the Thacker Pass mine is inconsistent with another 9th Circuit decision that adopted a more stringent interpretation of mining companies' rights to dump mine waste on public lands adjacent to their mining claims. With this decision, ongoing construction at Thacker Pass is expected to continue and the mine will become the largest lithium mine in the U.S., and one of the largest lithium sources in the world, within the next few years.
Quick hits


** 9th Circuit denies bid to block Nevada lithium mine
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Associated Press ([link removed]) | NPR ([link removed]) | Politico ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed])


** NM Supreme Court: Solar developer can cross rancher’s land to access leased parcels
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NM Political Report ([link removed])


** 'Giant methane factories': Hydropower may have a far greater climate impact than once thought
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Inside Climate News ([link removed])


** New Mexico energy transition proposal would violate ban on 'fossil fuel development'
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Source New Mexico ([link removed])


** Drought-driven shift from hydropower to fossil fuels is costing the U.S. billions: study
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The Hill ([link removed])


** Frustration builds as Flathead Lake continues to drop
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Montana Free Press ([link removed])


** Colorado sees major drop in water use as historic rains continued in June
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Colorado Sun ([link removed])


** Secretary Haaland's charged mission of healing
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Washington Post ([link removed])
Quote of the day
” We all recognize the need for renewable energy, but it can’t come at the cost of making the biodiversity crisis worse.”
—Erik Molvar, Western Watersheds Project, Associated Press ([link removed])
Picture this


** @organpipenps ([link removed])
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It's time for summer! Oh, you say we've already had it? We've had one, yes. But what about Second Summer?

The Sonoran Desert has not four, but five seasons throughout the year, with a second phase of summer starting in July and continuing into September. The first summer season is known as Dry Summer and lasts until mid-July. During Monsoon Summer, the winds from the south shift, bringing storms and humidity from more tropical Pacific regions to the hot, dry desert terrain. The abundant rain provides a major growing season for plants and a second breeding season for many animals. It's a part of what makes the Sonoran Desert the lush, green, and diverse place that it is!

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