Thank you to everyone that is following our petition to stop the proposed hard rock open pit strip mine by Piedmont Lithium in Gaston County, NC. After 4 years of rumors while they have purchased 80 parcels, we will finally hear a presentation from Piedmont Lithium next Tuesday night July 20th at 6 PM 325 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Gastonia, NC. PLEASE JOIN US as the Gaston County Commissioners need to see us as Gaston Co has had no trouble recruiting great jobs and great companies prior to this proposed mine. Plan to wear red to show your opposition.
Please take time to watch the attached video on Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) by Standard Lithium. They are only one of many companies adopting this less invasive technology to power the Green Revolution. This is the future of lithium production not hard rock open pit mining like Piedmont Lithium is proposing for Gaston County. Hard rock mining is a 500' deep hole in the ground and 2,000 to 3,000 acres with blasting multiple times a day, rock crushing, vibration, dust, noise, contaminated water wells, water wells going dry, and relocation of all residents and wildlife for miles around. Hard Rock open pit mining for lithium is not right for Gaston County or the environment.
Compare that to DLE underway in Arkansas by Standard Lithium along with Lanxess who have 150,000 acres under lease and with Albemarle who has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as a critical partner for a DLE brine project and research. DLE literally takes ground water, processes out the lithium, and returns the water back into the aquifers possibly cleaner than when removed. In roughly 6-8 hours, Standard Lithium is producing lithium chloride. Not weeks, months or years such as this proposed hard rock mine in Gaston County by Piedmont Lithium. No disruption, no 500' deep open pit mine, no blasting, no crushing, no vibration, no dust, noise or contaminated wells.
There is a reason Livent and Albemarle are not planning to reopen their hard rock mines in this country. Let's not create one environmental disaster trying to solve another environmental problem.
DLE is the future.