Federal Judge Upholds Nevada Lithium Mine Approval

A federal judge in Nevada ruled Friday that the U.S. government properly approved a major lithium and boron mining project, rejecting a lawsuit from conservation groups that argued the operation would endanger a rare wildflower endemic to the region.

The decision clears a significant legal obstacle for the Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Mine, an 11-square-mile development in Esmeralda County, located midway between Reno and Las Vegas. The project, led by Australia-based Ioneer, targets what company officials describe as the world's largest known lithium and boron deposit outside Turkey. U.S. District Judge Cristina Silva determined that federal agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, adequately assessed the mine's environmental impacts and that Ioneer's proposed mitigation measures comply with the Endangered Species Act.

At the center of the dispute is Tiehms buckwheat, a small wildflower listed as endangered in 2022 following advocacy by environmental organizations. The plant, which grows only on about 10 acres of lithium-rich soil in the Silver Peak Range, produces green leaves and yellow, pom-pom-like flowers in spring,...