County aims to halt lithium projects near Ash Meadows oasis

Sitting right on the border of Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is a proposed exploratory drilling project that many fear would devastate the desert oasis and those fears have now been formalized in a letter from Nye County to the Bureau of Land Management.

The letter was prompted by Rover Metal’s proposed “Let’s Go Lithium” project but it’s not restricted to that project alone, with Nye County commissioners ensuring the language reflects Nye’s position against any lithium-related projects in the Ash Meadows area. There was no specific buffer zone named in the letter but Nye County Natural Resources Director Megan Labadie said the Amargosa Conservancy is currently working on that, with hopes to have results of their studies compiled sometime in February.

Mason Voehl, executive director for the Amargosa Conservancy, was at the Nye County Commission’s Jan. 3 meeting as well. He thanked the board for its support in the fight against lithium development near an area designated as one of critical environmental concern.

“We are a nonprofit organization working here in Nevada, toward a sustainable future for the Amargosa River and basin. And just to remind folks, in the heart of the basin (#230) is Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge and it’s a protected wetland area. It’s the largest oasis in the Mojave Desert,” Voehl stated that afternoon.

“And located right here in Nye County, Ash Meadows is an indescribably important biodiversity hot spot, it’s a place with a rich cultural heritage. The spring pools and wetlands of Ash Meadows provide a home to more than 26 species that only live in the refuge,” Voehl continued. “And this is only possible due to the flowing groundwater of the Amargosa River, which sustains both the refuge, the communities in the region that depend on that groundwater and the tourism industry afforded by public lands for their lives and livelihoods.”

The letter met with immediate and unanimous approval from the board and will now be sent to Nevada State Director John Raby with the BLM.

“This is a known ecologically sensitive area and a critical habitat for the endangered Ash Meadows Amargosa pupfish and Ash Meadows Speckled Dace. Allowing exploratory drilling may also alter crucial groundwater flows with the risk of dewatering, causing irretrievable damage to the aquifer,” the letter states.

“The board believes it is unwise to allow this project to move forward so close to a critical habitat. The current project proposal threatening the refuge includes 30 boreholes 250-300 feet in depth, within 2,000 feet of the historic Fairbanks Spring. Fairbanks Spring is home to the above-mentioned Ash Meadows Amargosa pupfish and Speckled Dace. Should this project continue, it is the first step toward the creation of an open-pit claystone mine,” the letter continues.

The BLM had originally approved Rover Metals’ exploratory drilling project without the need for a formal plan of operations or any environmental review. However, after public pushback from many sides, that approval was rescinded. This means that Rover Metals is now required to submit a plan of operation and complete a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review but Nye County officials feel that isn’t adequate, either.

“The step taken by the BLM to rescind the approval and require a NEPA analysis is not enough and will result in more expense to the taxpayer due to the number of BLM staff hours that will be spent on the project. In addition to that, it will also financially impact the applicant and may create a level of development cost uncertainty in the industry and the area,” the letter asserts.

The county is asking that an Administrative or Congressional Mineral Withdrawal be adopted, to provide long-term protection to the Ash Meadows region. “It will also provide potential developers with a clear message and direction about future project location sites, saving time and money and resulting in a lower cost to the end users of their products,” the letter concludes.

The letter can be found online at NyeCountyNV.gov under item #22 on the Jan. 3 agenda.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com