Nevada lithium mine threatens cultural sites
about 5 months ago (12/08/2023)
Nevada lithium mine threatens cultural sites Art market Museums & heritage Exhibitions Books Podcasts Columns Technology Adventures with Van Gogh Search Search Heritage news Nevada lithium mine threatens cultural sites The US federal government’s manoeuvres to boost domestic lithium extraction are raising fears from tribal communities about archaeological and environmental impacts Gabriella Angeleti 8 December 2023 Share Members of the Fort McDermitt Paiute-Shoshone tribe gather to oppose the Thacker Pass lithium mine Photo: Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images The construction of an open-pit lithium mine in northern Nevada, which is scheduled to begin full-fledged operation in 2026, will have irreversible effects on the environment and cultural heritage sites in the region, according to archaeologists, environmentalists and Native American communities who oppose the project. The site of the Thacker Pass lithium mine, a $2.3bn project that was fast-tracked under the Trump-Pence administration, holds the world’s second largest known deposit of lithium, a so-called “white gold” used to manufacture rechargeable batteries for a range of devices, from mobile phones to electric vehicles. The Atsa Koodakuh wyh Nuwu (People of Red Mountain) is a grassroots committee made up of Paiute, Shoshone, Bannock and other Native American communities who have been at the forefront of the protests against the Thacker Pass mine.