46°F
weather icon Clear

How this rare Nye County toad could stall future mining operations

A proposed lithium production project would push the Nevada Railroad Valley toad — a newly classified groundwater dependent species — out of existence, according to environmental activists and others who aim to protect the amphibians.

A petition has been circulated by the Center for Biological Diversity to protect the toad under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The toad was classified in 2020 as a frog native to the scattered wetlands ofNye County’s Railroad Valley. The toad’s population is unclear at the moment, but is expected to be low. Although the species inhabit about 445 acres, they are isolated in the arid desert.

“What’s partly crazy about [the new description], is that we’ve just begun to learn about this toad and now it’s already at risk of potentially going extinct if we didn’t do something,” a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, Krista Kemppinen said.

Several companies are staking claims to dig for lithium in Nye County, but one has already applied for groundwater rights, according to the scientist. The project would be less than 10 miles away from the toad’s habitat, where the company plans to pull billions of gallons of underground water that provide spring flow for the toads.

“[Companies] need to be located in places where they do the least amount of damage, whilst minimizing water consumption, increasing recycling,” Kemppinen said. “We’re definitely not against lithium, because we need lithium for batteries which are needed for electric cars and hybrid cars and storing energy off of solar panels.”

Kemppinen believes that the mining of lithium is a critical component of renewable energy transition — a component of meeting ambitious federal climate-change goals. But there’s a need to ensure that mining doesn’t come with a price tag of extinction for some species, said Kemppinen.

The Center for Biologial Diversity’s 36-page petition addresses some members of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior and requests the Railroad Valley toad be declared an “endangered species.”

It’s a bureaucratic process that could take more than a year as officials and others consider the evidence to protect it.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is in the midst of making an initial determination on the merits of the case.

“These things get denied.” Kemppinen said. “What has happened a lot in the past is sometimes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services say, ‘Yes, we recognize that the species needs protection, but there are higher priority species at the moment,’ so they’ll kind of put it on the back-burner.”

The Center for Biological Diversity is worried about the 40 new water rights applications that were recently submitted by 3PL Operating Inc. The company has partnered with Ameriwest Lithium, an exploration and development company which has now secured 13,580 acres of land.

This increase of land comes from the land that American Battery Technology Company, once known as LitiumOre Inc, owned the rights to. The company had 224 claims which added to the 686 claims that Ameriwest Lithium has the rights to.

Contact Jimmy Romo at jromo@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jimi_writes on Twitter.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Beatty riled by sheriff’s substation closure

Lone staffer will be relocated to Pahrump to help with workload there; be onsite in Beatty just once a month.

Sales tax question headed to the ballot

Road conditions in the Pahrump Valley are a sore point for many drivers as well as a source of frustration for the crews dedicated to maintaining them but with only so many road dollars to go around, it can be hard to keep pace with the demand.

How historical storytelling is highlighting Tonopah attractions

Preserving history for generations to come while simultaneously boosting tourism – that’s the goal of Tonopah Main Street: Historical Storytelling, a project that’s using the digital age to promote all of the fascinating facts about the bygone days of Tonopah.

Bake sale rakes in $2k for splash pad shade

Pahrump Mother’s Corner is on a mission to see the town of Pahrump build a community splash pad but this group of local parents is doing more than just advocating for the project – they are actively raising money to assist with paying for what they all feel will be a crucial addition to it, a shade structure.

The Veterans Extravaganza – an information hub for former military

The 7th Annual Cles Saunders Memorial Veterans’ Extravaganza took place last week, giving former military service members a chance to learn all about the various resources the area has to offer.

Want to be the county clerk? Applications due March 13

Nye County Clerk Mark Kampf announced his pending resignation last week and the Nye County Commission must now select someone to assume the soon-to-be-vacated office.

Older resident dies in fire

Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue Services, along with the Nevada State Fire Marshal’s office are investigating the exact cause of a structure fire that claimed the life of a man early Wednesday morning.

How has the town fared with Fall Festival? Here’s an overview

When the Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce made the decision to divest itself of the Pahrump Fall Festival, the town of Pahrump stepped in to reassume the popular community event.