LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The only mine currently producing lithium in the U.S. is seeking to expand its operations in a remote area of Nevada.

The Silver Peak lithium mine is in sparsely populated Esmeralda County, southwest of Tonopah. It has been extracting lithium from a dry lakebed since 1966, long before the demand for electric vehicles spurred exploration to end U.S. dependence on foreign sources. But new mines are years from production.

Albemarle Corporation wants to increase the mine's footprint by 1,596 acres, about 25% more land than it covers today at 6,462 acres. The expansion would include 548 acres of BLM land.

BLM said it would also consider retroactive approval of facilities at the site that were built without authorization. Those include a transfer pumping station and associa

See Full Page