RENO, Nev. — A coalition of environmental groups and a Native American tribe are taking legal action against the U.S. government in an effort to halt a lithium mining operation in Nevada. They argue that the planned extraction site will threaten the existence of the endangered Tiehm’s buckwheat, disrupt local groundwater systems, and endanger cultural sites of significance.
The Center for Biological Diversity, which has been vocal about environmental concerns, had signaled its intent to pursue legal recourse when the U.S. Interior Department granted approval to Ioneer Ltd. for developing the Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron mine. This mine is located in the only known habitat of Tiehm’s buckwheat, situated in Nevada near the California border, between Reno and Las Vegas.
This lawsuit comes amidst a series of legal challenges faced by initiatives under President Biden’s administration aimed at promoting clean energy. These initiatives are focused on reducing fossil fuel dependence through increased lithium production, which is essential for manufacturing batteries for electric vehicles and solar panels.
The latest legal filing criticizes the Interior Department’s decision as a significant reversal from previous warnings issued by U.S. wildlife officials. Nearly two years ago, they classified Tiehm’s buckwheat as being “in danger of extinction now” when it was listed as endangered in December 2022.
Fermina Stevens, who leads the Western Shoshone Defense Project, one of the groups involved in the lawsuit, stated, “One cannot save the planet from climate change while simultaneously destroying biodiversity.” John Hadder, director of the Great Basin Resource Watch and another co-plaintiff, echoed this sentiment by asserting that the extraction of minerals for electric vehicles or solar panels should not come at the expense of Indigenous cultural lands and vital environmental laws.
Rita Henderson, a representative for the Bureau of Land Management in Reno, indicated that there was no immediate comment from the agency following the lawsuit. Chad Yeftich, vice president of Ioneer, expressed confidence that the company will protect its interests by fully supporting the approval processes that led to the mining project’s green light. He emphasized that he does not foresee the legal action delaying construction set to begin next year.
The lawsuit emphasizes that the mining operation poses risks to culturally important sites for the Western Shoshone tribe, particularly Cave Spring, which serves as a vital site for passing down cultural traditions and spiritual teachings. However, the suit is fundamentally focused on potential breaches of the Endangered Species Act. It highlights a troubling change in the Fish and Wildlife Service’s assessment of the threats facing the small wildflower with cream or yellow blooms, which exists in proximity to the proposed open-pit mine that intends to excavate three times deeper than a football field.
Permits for the mining project anticipate that up to 20% of the designated critical habitat, which spans nearly 1.5 square miles, would be adversely impacted for decades, with some areas experiencing permanent loss. The Fish and Wildlife Service had previously characterized this habitat as crucial for the conservation and recovery of Tiehm’s buckwheat when it officially designated it as critical habitat in December 2022, rejecting the alternative assessment of less stringent threatened status.
The agency concluded that a threatened status was inadequate given the immediate and severe threats facing this plant species, affirming that Tiehm’s buckwheat is currently facing extinction risks rather than potential future endangerment.
Additionally, the lawsuit brings new evidence to light regarding the population of the wildflower, which is estimated to be under 30,000 plants. It indicates that the population faced further declines since August, reductions that were not accounted for in the Fish and Wildlife Service’s assessments. This decline is analogous to a prior instance from 2020 when rodent activity reportedly decimated up to 60% of the plants.
In its August biological opinion, the Fish and Wildlife Service acknowledged that while the mining project would disturb 146 acres of the plant community for approximately 23 years, including the permanent loss of 45 acres, they did not anticipate the adverse impacts to significantly affect the overall value of the designated critical habitat.
