Despite all the legal battles out of Reno, and efforts by Native communities and conservation groups, construction at the Thacker Pass lithium open-pit mine on the Nevada-Oregon border is now churning along.
Lithium Americas is signing new contracts as it starts drilling, building pipelines and preparing the site. Demand for lithium is expected to grow exponentially over the next few decades with the rise of electric vehicles.
The legal battles are ongoing, with the latest appeal expected to be heard in June, but a judge in Reno said work could proceed. Local tribes refer to Thacker Pass as “Peehee mu’huh” meaning “rotten moon” to mark the shape of an area where their ancestors were massacred in the 1800s.
The Reno Sparks Indian Colony is advocating for the the area to be on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Great Basin Resource Watch says the mine could lead to the destruction of sage grouse habitat. It will also disturb a migration corridor for pronghorn antelope and thousands of acres of sagebrush.