Meghana KandraThe mines having materials used for the electric vehicle-making process in the US are being halted despite having enough resources within the country. By next year if the raw materials are not being taken out, the country would have to depend on exports. These mines have enough copper to build 6 million EVs and enough lithium to build 2 million EVs. Also, 60,000 EVs can be built with nickel found from mines in the US.
Image credits- List 23
Executive chairman of Ioneer, a mining company in the US, James Calaway said, “If we don’t start getting some mining projects under construction this coming year, then we will not have the raw materials domestically to support EV manufacturing,”
On the contrary, Washington has been receiving confusing guidance. Like the US Fish and Wildlife Service is supposed to label a rare flower that is found. It is found on a handful of acres at Ioneer’s Nevada lithium mine site that is endangered. At the same time, the US Department of Energy is deciding if they should lend the company $300 million for building the mine.
The confusion comes as the opposition continues from indigenous groups, environmentalists, or ranchers. Their argument comes with the resistance living near a mine contradicting the potential of EVs in climate change. By early 2022 federal judges are to rule the separate cases on whether the mining companies should mine or not. These mines were approved earlier already by former president Donald Trump, known as Lithium Americas Corp and Rio Tinto Plc.
Weighing options
Whereas in Minnesota the state regulators are weighing their options on what to do about the situation. This is in reference to PolyMet Mining Corp. The mining company is controlled by Mining giant Glencore Plc. If approved, PolyMet’s mine would be a major nickel producer in the US which is set to close by 2025.
Also in North Carolina, Piedmont Lithium Inc is failing to keep the local landowners a part of its development plans. If this continues, it could cost the company some local zoning approvals. As per the government’s goals towards climate change, Biden’s goals suggest that EVs should be made within the country. On the other hand, in October Biden himself stopped the Antofagasta Plc’s Twin Metals copper and nickel mine project in Minnesota for 20 years. If this were to not happened, it would have become a major US supplier of copper for EVs. These contradictions are only part of all that’s happening in the EV industry in the US.
The White House has been supporting certain mining projects to promote EV growth. The Lithium America and California geothermal Lithium project have the government’s support despite the native American opposition.