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Piedmont Lithium’s proposal — the basics
- 3,600 acres, half of the land as buffer, the other half, mining operations proper
- Look at how many tons of pollution is released for 33,000 tons of raw lithium mined
- at Piedmont Lithium in NC
- Four mining pits would extend a total of three miles across
- The operation will pump as much as 3 million gallons of water per day from the pit. This is known as dewatering, which allows machinery to access the rock.
- Estimated lifespan of the mine: 11 1/2 years
- 33,000 tons of lithium would be mined per year
- 330,582 tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually
- 169 tons of particulate matter, 69 tons of it PM 2.5, which can cause respiratory and heart problems, as well as contribute to premature birth
- 16 tons of hazardous air pollutants, a quarter of that is hexane, which is harmful to the human nervous system
- Once the ore is excavated from each pit, Piedmont Lithium says it will begin filling them with rock, or allowing groundwater to fill them, a process known as reclamation. The company says it will reclaim the pits in progression, rather than doing so all at once.
- In addition to a rezoning approval from the Gaston County Commissioners, Piedmont Lithium must obtain several state and federal permits: air, water, stormwater and mining. None have been granted so far.
