Final approval from State of Utah, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Rights,
First State of Utah approval related to large scale lithium production at Green River,
The approval process confirms the water resources and surrounding areas will not be negatively affected by brine extraction.
NEWPORT BEACH, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 12, 2024 / Anson Resources Limited (ASX:ASN) ("Anson Resources" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that today the State of Utah, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Rights (the Division) confirmed approval giving A1 Lithium the right to extract brine at its Green River, Utah lithium project. This is a key step required for A1 Lithium to produce environmentally-friendly clean lithium to supply the United States and is vital to expanding the Country's domestic supply for the transition to electric vehicles and the decarbonization of the US economy. Importantly, the project will have a substantial positive impact on the local economy providing well-paying full-time jobs and contributing millions in taxes.
Given the state's vast resource and mining-friendly environment, Utah has potential to become the largest clean lithium producer in the USA. A1 Lithium estimates initial phase 1 annual production of approximately 10,000 tons of lithium carbonate, enough to power 250,000 electric vehicles a year. "Utah likely holds one of the largest economic lithium resources in the USA and can become the Texas of the electric vehicle era. A1 Lithium's project could make Utah the largest producer of clean lithium in the country." Said Greg Knox Senior Geologist for A1 Lithium. Brian Somers, President of the Utah Mining Association said "Utah potentially has the largest economic lithium resource in the US located in the Paradox Basin and is currently one of only two states producing lithium. Utah holds the potential to be the largest producer of lithium in the country and we need projects like A1 Lithium's to achieve that goal."
The construction of the project will directly employ up to 500 local jobs and ongoing operations have the opportunity to reintegrate the Green River community. "A1 Lithium's project will directly provide 60 high-paying full-time jobs for people in the Southern Utah community and can potentially create an additional 58 jobs in order to support the local community's economic growth. This project can restore the prosperity of Green River that was lost when the mining industry and military left in the 1960's and 1970's. It will be transformational for our community" said Mayor of Green River Utah, Ren Hatt.
The process A1 Lithium employs to extract lithium is an advanced technology called Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) which is an environmentally responsible and sustainable approach. In fact, its unique aspects will help qualify the project as one of the cleanest and greenest sources of lithium in the world. The process uses dramatically less water than other lithium mining methods, produces significantly less carbon dioxide than hard rock mining and brine evaporation ponds, efficiently utilizes existing structures and land to reduce its footprint, and employs a closed loop process to ensure the efficient use of resources. Michael Swenson, a local consultant who was raised in Emery County noted "Clean domestically sourced lithium for EVs presents the single greatest opportunity to reduce the emissions from vehicles along the Wasatch Front. We should embrace this opportunity to use Utah lithium to improve Utah air, improve rural economies, and provide greater opportunities to live in rural communities like Green River."
A1 Lithium's Green River lithium project is key to the US becoming independent of China's dominance in the battery supply chain. "If the U.S. is going to compete in the global minerals race, we must support the responsible use of our vast domestic resources such as those found in the Paradox Basin. With a proposed extraction process that is specifically designed to minimize impacts to the environment and recycles 95 percent of water used, A1 Lithium demonstrates why mined-in-America projects ensures that the U.S. supply chain start with minerals that are produced at the highest standards in accordance with the world's top environmental, labor and safety criteria." Rich Nolan, President and CEO, National Mining Association
A1 Lithium's President, Bruce Richardson commented, "This approval to extract brine is significant as it is the first granted to a company by the State of Utah for the processing of brine for lithium extraction at Green River and reflects the quality of our project, our partners and our community support. Importantly, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality recently approved a underground injection control well for A1 which demonstrates that there is no connection between the brine that A1 Lithium intends to extract and surface waters including rivers and underground sources of drinking water. The process we have chosen to extract lithium returns the waste brine to the same formation from which it is extracted and is therefore a non-consumptive process, unlike evaporation ponds. This process has less impact upon the environment, which is one of our key objectives."
