.jpeg)
1) The Biden administration has completed a court-ordered review that will ensure construction will continue at the Thacker Pass lithium mine in Nevada. At the same time, the Interior Department said that it is taking steps to clarify mineral rights under the 1872 law to reflect the "realities of the 21st century." The Interior Department has said that the land management bureau has completed the review necessary to establish mineral rights on the rights on the land adjacent to Lithium Americas' project and is convinced that it will satisfy a previous judge's requirement that the company will provide additional proof the company has mineral rights to dump waste rock and tailings on adjacent federal land. A group of Native Americans are staging a protest at the site where the mine is planned. The company's CEO, Jonathan Evans, said they are “pleased the administration has established a path forward that allows us to resolve the outstanding matters related to the approval of our Thacker Pass project."
2) Due to Ecuador's political crisis, mining projects will be severely affected. “Strategic sectors, including mining, are the hardest hit by the political crisis. Companies are only making the minimum necessary investments and there is a general feeling that things will not advance as fast as expected,” mining chamber lawyer Andrés Ycaza told BNamericas. The President of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso went to defend himself in an impeachment trial. There are some outcomes that could help transition the power, but none of the scenarios would diminish or create needed regulations when it comes to royalties and environmental consultation. “The political crisis creates uncertainty about when and how these regulations will be issued. The situation at the moment is complex,” said Mr. Ycaza. A mining investor, requesting anonymity, told BNamericas that “there are some investors interested in providing financing, through gold pre-sale, but the decisions will slow down.”