Thursday, October 1, 2026
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RALEIGH, NC (WNN) - The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality's Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources (DEMLR) has granted Piedmont Lithium its N.C. state mining permit. Piedmont learned its permit would be approved in April.
In April, Piedmont learned its permit would be approved, but it was not granted until today, May 7, 2024. With the permit now granted, Piedmont can proceed with obtaining the remaining permits.
The permit approval process started in 2021. Based on the company's permit application, additional information responses, and a public hearing that occurred in 2021, DEMLR granted Piedmont the permit with operational limits.
"Operational limits" refer to specific boundaries imposed on a facility or operation to regulate its activities within certain parameters. These constraints may include:
The permit was issued based on Piedmont's compliance with the Mining Act of 1971. A press release from DEMLR stated that Piedmont must use a synthetic liner for its waste rock disposal pile, as well as in-depth water monitoring systems.
The press release provided details about the water monitoring systems. These attributes include:
Piedmont still needs to obtain air quality and wastewater discharge permits before construction can commence. This is an ongoing story; stay tuned to WNN for further developments.
A correction was made to a pervious WNN article that discussed Piedmont's permit approval. WNN changed the headline to clarify that the permit had not been granted, it had been approved. The permit was officially granted on May 7, 2024, but Piedmont learned they would receive the permit on April 15.
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