Federal Judge Approves Nevada Lithium Mine Despite Conservationists' Concerns for Rare Wildflower

The $2 billion Rhyolite Ridge Lithium/Boron Mine Project will move forward despite worries about its impact on the endangered Tiehm's buckwheat.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 12:34am

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A federal judge in Nevada has ruled in favor of a lithium-boron mining project in Esmeralda County, rejecting conservationists' arguments that the mine would harm an endangered wildflower called Tiehm's buckwheat. The 11-square-mile Rhyolite Ridge mine, owned by Australian company Ioneer, is set to become one of the largest lithium and boron deposits in the world outside of Turkey. While environmental groups plan to appeal the decision, the judge found that Ioneer's mitigation efforts, including fencing and buffer zones, were sufficient to protect the rare flower's habitat.

Why it matters

The Rhyolite Ridge mine is seen as a critical domestic source of lithium, an essential component of electric vehicle batteries, as the U.S. looks to reduce reliance on foreign materials and processing. However, conservationists argue that the project poses an existential threat to the Tiehm's buckwheat, which grows only within a small 10-acre area in the mine's footprint, and could have broader implications for the Endangered Species Act.

The details

The $2 billion Rhyolite Ridge Lithium/Boron Mine Project would cover an 11-square-mile area in Esmeralda County, Nevada, between Reno and Las Vegas. The mine would produce enough lithium carbonate for around 400,000 electric vehicles per year, as well as boric acid used in various industries. Ioneer, the Australian company behind the project, aims to start construction by the end of 2023 and begin production in 2029, though it is still seeking a financial partner after a major investor pulled out last year. The Biden administration previously approved the project as part of its clean energy agenda, and the Trump administration also supported lithium mining in Nevada.

  • The federal judge ruled in favor of the mine on April 1, 2026.
  • Ioneer wants to start construction on the project by the end of 2023 and begin production in 2029.
  • In January 2025, the Department of Energy finalized a nearly $1 billion loan for the Rhyolite Ridge project.

The players

Rhyolite Ridge Lithium/Boron Mine Project

An 11-square-mile lithium and boron mining project in Esmeralda County, Nevada, owned by Australian company Ioneer. The project is set to become one of the largest lithium and boron deposits in the world outside of Turkey.

Ioneer

The Australian-based company that owns and is developing the Rhyolite Ridge Lithium/Boron Mine Project in Nevada.

Tiehm's buckwheat

A rare endangered wildflower whose entire population of around 1.4 square miles grows within 10 acres of the Rhyolite Ridge mine site. The flower is the focus of conservationists' concerns about the project.

Center for Biological Diversity

An environmental group that has fought to protect the Tiehm's buckwheat and successfully pushed for its endangered species designation in 2022. The group is considering appealing the court's ruling in favor of the Rhyolite Ridge mine.

U.S. District Judge Cristina Silva

The Biden-nominated federal judge who ruled in favor of the Rhyolite Ridge mine project, finding that the government properly approved it and that Ioneer's mitigation efforts were sufficient to protect the Tiehm's buckwheat.

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What they’re saying

“Rhyolite Ridge will create hundreds of new American jobs, reduce reliance on foreign materials and processing, and provide a domestic source of two critical minerals.”

— Chad Yeftich, Vice President of Corporate Development and External Affairs at Ioneer

“This can seem like a little remote flower in the middle of nowhere. But if we lose on Tiehm's buckwheat, you know, what else are we facing with the whittling away of the Endangered Species Act?”

— Patrick Donnelly, Great Basin Director, Center for Biological Diversity

What’s next

The Center for Biological Diversity is considering appealing the federal judge's ruling in favor of the Rhyolite Ridge mine to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing that the case could have broader implications for the Endangered Species Act.

The takeaway

The approval of the Rhyolite Ridge lithium mine highlights the tension between the need for domestic sources of critical minerals like lithium for the clean energy transition and the potential environmental impacts on rare and endangered species. This case could set an important precedent for how the Endangered Species Act is applied to future mining and infrastructure projects.