Yesterday, a Canadian-funded mining company, Nevada Energy Metals, LLC, has laid a claim to about 4,000 acres of land in Nevada's Black Rock Desert. This just so happens to be where Burning Man, one of the biggest music festivals's in the U.S., takes place every year. The mining company claims that the soil of the desert contains Lithium, a mineral found in batteries and anti-anxiety medication.
When mining claims like this are done, breaking ground requires not only fees but permits and public processing as well. Mark Hall, an assistant field manager for the BLM'S Black Rock Field Office, has stated that they have yet to move forward with the devastating request. He said, “Right now we have not received a notice to work their claims nor have we received a plan of operations.”
Lithium claims aren't unusual for the state of Nevada. The state alone has received over 10,500 lithium claims from 25 different companies in only the past two years. As the demand for Lithium arises, the companies will continue to make more and more of these claims. This can possibly push Nevada to move forward with the requests.
