AZL General Discussion, page-4978

"both Arizona State AND the Federal Govt WANT AZL to drill."

What Arizona wants is irrelevant. Arizona may want mining at Resolution, but Rio Tinto has been fighting that battle for a couple decades. The Federal government wants lithium production, but wants to honor its commitments to all stakeholders even more. Of course the geologists at BLM want to drill, just like the surgeons at hospitals want to cut.

And of course, drilling and filling is not mining. The application for mining may not come for three years, when there may or may not be a new administration in Washington. By then, the lithium shortage may have turned into the surplus we saw a few years ago. If BLM requires the "open pit" mine to be filled back in as they go along, I hope the costs for that are figured in by the consultants.

And BLM approval, if it comes, is not the final word. The federal courts will decide. And the judges have lifetime tenure; they are not elected.