Major Milestone After More Than A Decade Of Work By Lithium Americas
The United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Lithium Americas Corp.’s (TSX: LAC) Thacker Pass lithium project in Nevada.
Thacker Pass, located north of Winnemucca, Nevada, is 100% owned by Lithium Nevada Corp.a US corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Lithium Americas.
“The publication of the Final EIS is the culmination of more than a decade of work studying, exploring and developing the Thacker Pass project,” commented Jon Evans, President and CEO.
“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.”
Publication of the Final EIS for Thacker Pass follows a comprehensive review of the potential impacts of the Project, including alternatives and a full examination of project and site-specific mitigation measures. Local communities and tribes, Humboldt County, the State of Nevada, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency were all eligible to participate in developing the scope and content of the Final EIS for Thacker Pass.
The Final EIS is the result of pre-planning work that included the early collection of environmental baseline information, community and Native American engagement, project re-design, and the initial submission of a Conceptual Plan of Operations for agency consideration. The Company’s water-protection permit applications were submitted in mid-2020 and are being considered by the State.
The final step in the Federal permitting process for Thacker Pass is the issuance of the Record of Decision (ROD) by the BLM, which is expected to occur in early 2021.
Lithium Americas also announced it has joined a coalition made up of 30 founding companies to launch the Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA), an organisation dedicated to achieving 100% electric vehicle (EV) sales in the United States by 2030.
Founding members are industry leaders in the EV space including extractives, automotive and energy companies, whose values and strategic interests support ZETA’s principles of EV adoption and growth in the US.
ZETA coordinates public education efforts and federal policy development to promote EV adoption with the goal of creating American electric vehicle manufacturing jobs, better serving consumers, improving air quality and public health, and significantly reducing carbon pollution.
