LETTER: Lithium production and a rare plant
I appreciated the Sunday article on Tiehm’s Buckwheat. Until lithium is no longer needed for batteries in electrical vehicles, we will need much more of this element. The only lithium mine in the United States is in Nevada at Clayton Valley. Its production is equal to about 20 percent of the lithium needed at Tesla’s gigafactory east of Reno.
With all major automobile manufacturers planning electric vehicles, the demand for lithium will far exceed U.S. production. An effort must be made to find a way to allow Ioneer USA Corp. to proceed with its proposed mine. An effort must be made, also, for the Thacker Pass project in Humboldt County. We should not be dependent on imports for critical materials needed for American manufacturers.
