State of NC Grants Extension to Piedmont Lithium.
By: Grace Smith – Wise News Network
CHERRYVILLE, NC (WNN) – The North Carolina Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources (NCDEMLR) granted Piedmont Lithium an extension for some of its mining permits. Piedmont requested the extension to enhance its plans for waste rock storage.
Piedmont Lithium has been in the process of obtaining mining permits for its proposed lithium mine since 2021. The mine is intended to be the biggest lithium operation in the United States of America.
The permitting process is in-depth, and the company has utilized extensions in the past. Obtaining extensions for permits is a common practice in the industry, as additional information is typically required to fulfill state and federal standards.
Erin Sanders, the vice president of corporate communications for Piedmont Lithium, shared a statement regarding the extensions. Sanders said this extension should not delay Piedmont Lithium’s timeline. The company expects to obtain the necessary permits in 2024.
“We filed for the extension for our ADI #3 response to DEMLR to address upgrades to the engineering of the waste rock pile,” said Sanders in the written statement.ย
The company’s ADI 3# response is a part of the necessary mine permitting process.ย
The company asked for an additional 180 days to alter its waste rock storage plan. Piedmont Lithium will now utilize a synthetic liner underneath the waste rock pile to ensure the quality of the groundwater. The original plan intended the use of a clay liner.
According to a project overview packet provided by Piedmont Lithium, the amount of waste rock will vary based on the location of the mining pits and the amount of waste rock near the active site.
According to aย Yahoo Finance article, published by Reuters, the waste rock deposits could reach 500 feet. WNN has asked Piedmont Lithium if there will be any 3D renderings of the site. As of now there are none. ย
NCDEMLR approved the extension on Tuesday, November 21, 2023.
“We requested a 180-day extension to allow time for the holidays and a thorough engineering process, however, we plan to expedite the process as much as possible and submit our response well before the May deadline,” said Sanders.
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