Glenn Miller is a founding member Great Basin Resource Watch. He says that the environmental group has made a lot of progress over the years in making the mining industry more environmentally friendly. He also believes lithium is crucial in the fight against climate change. This past year, Glenn Miller resigned as a member of the GBRW board due to disagreements about how the organization handled the Thacker Pass lithium mine.
Miller was involved in the lawsuit against federal approval of Thacker Pass project, which was filed in February 2021 by GBRW and three others.
Miller stated that he considered Lithium Americas, a company working towards building Thacker Pass, a good company. However, John Hadder, Director of GBRW, pushed hard for a lawsuit. This was mainly about the proposed mines tailings plant.
Miller stated that there are still questions about this.
GBRW and the three other organizations that filed the suit filed a preliminary injunction to stop the construction of Thacker Pass’s mine a few months later.
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Miller said that if Miller was successful, that would have stopped all of it. I was not consulted about that and would have opposed it. When I learned that it was done, I resigned as a member of the board for Great Basin Resource Watch.
Miller was a professor at the University of Nevada, Reno’s Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Science for 40 years. He is currently serving as the co-chair of the department.
Miller stated that every mine has an impact on the natural environment. Thacker Pass, however, will be a large mine. He has seen the proposed operations and processes and believes the mine to be relatively benign.
Miller stated that Thacker Pass is not susceptible to acid drainage.
Miller stated that acid drainage is probably the biggest problem with copper and gold mines.
Also, Thacker pass will not have any pit lakes.
Miller stated that there are 1000-year effects when we create these pit lakes.
Miller believes that the sulfur and tailings facility use will be relatively benign based on his understanding of the process.
It contains a lot sulfur, but it is converted to sulfuric acid and then neutralized with calcium carbonate to create gypsum. Gypsum is wallboard.
They have it all figured out, and I am convinced.
Miller’s perspective, the impact of the mine will likely be worth it to obtain the lithium required for batteries.
Miller stated that I am a strong supporter of lithium as an anti-climate change solution.
I was a professor of environmental science for many years and saw the issue of global warming evolve into what I consider the greatest environmental threat to mankind. I believe that we must have an all-hands-onboard effort. For transportation batteries, lithium is the only metal that is required. Other metals such as cobalt and manganese, or nickel, can be substituted, but not for lithium.
The mine to me is a climate issue.
Miller stated that there are some who argue that switching to batteries isn’t worth the effort to get the metals you need.
However, if you look at the majority of scientific evidence, every article that is a valid comparison states that there is a benefit to using a battery technology instead of carbon fuels.
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