AMARGOSA VALLEY, Nev. (KTNV) — A new mining project near Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge — which is about 90 miles west of Las Vegas — is raising conservation concerns.
WATCH | Conservation concerns reignite with approval of new mining project
On July 10, the Bureau of Land Management issued a Record of Decision approving 43 boreholes to look for zeolite at the 'Ash Meadows Mine' via company St. Cloud Mining, which operates another mine nearby.
The BLM sited 'no significant impact" on the environment in its authorization of the project which will take place about three miles from the protected area across the California border.
Critics, like the Amargosa Conservancy, say drilling could disrupt the aquifer, potentially impacting wildlife and groundwater flows that are crucial to the refuge's ecosystem.
This approval comes after a controversial plan to drill for lithium was stalled following significant community pushback in Amargosa Valley. Residents Channel 13 spoke with said they were concerned about their groundwater wells drying up due to an inflow of industry development in the area.
WATCH | Residents concerned over new lithium mining claims popping up in Amargosa Valley
Earlier this year, the federal government announced they were considering a mineral withdrawal in the area which would pause any new mining claims, as endangered species like the Devils Hole Pupfish depend on the watershed for survival.
