ioneer Welcomes Biden Administration’s Commitment
to Domestic Mining
New report shows Rhyolite Ridge Project is uniquely qualified
to help meet critical minerals objectives
Wednesday, 9 June 2021 – Emerging lithium-boron producer ioneer Ltd (‘ioneer’ or the
‘Company’) (ASX: INR) today commented on the Biden administration’s plans to strengthen
critical supply chains, including critical minerals used in EVs, batteries and clean energy
technologies.
The report released after the conclusion of a 100-day review of domestic supply chains, indicates
that the Administration has full support for responsible domestic mining projects like Rhyolite
Ridge, and is committed to ensuring a secure and resilient domestic supply chain.
ioneer’s Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project (‘Rhyolite Ridge’ or the ‘Project’) in Nevada will
help meet a number of objectives set by the Administration:
• The Project will create 400 to 500 construction jobs, 250 to 300 multigenerational familysupporting operating jobs, and several hundred more ancillary jobs to support the
Project.
• It will produce key components for technologies to combat climate change, more than
quadrupling current domestic production of lithium materials, needed for batteries
powering the electric vehicle revolution.
• It is strongly supported by the local communities as evidenced by letters of support
submitted to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) by each of the Esmeralda, Nye and
Mineral County Commissions.
• Once in operation, Rhyolite Ridge is expected to generate between US$13 million and
US$31 million in annual fiscal revenue for state and local governments. The Project will
provide important and sustained tax revenue to this region of Nevada.
• Environmental justice has been a key objective of the Project, including participating in
formal consultation with and outreach to interested tribal bands.
• US environmental standards are among the most stringent and rigorously enforced in
the world, and Rhyolite Ridge has undergone four years of intensive environmental
review.
ioneer Executive Chairman James Calaway, said:
"We appreciate the Biden administration for taking a whole of government approach and
aggressively moving forward to address the clear need to bolster critical mineral production
in the United States. The steps outlined today show a commitment and willingness to address
this urgent need head on.
Our project in Nevada is shovel ready with the approval of this administration. Rhyolite Ridge
is the most advanced lithium development project in the US and will become a major
domestic supplier of refined lithium products, with enough supply of lithium materials for
400,000 electric vehicles each year. Rhyolite Ridge provides a clear example of how the
Administration can swiftly work to bring stakeholders together to ensure the Project is
approved with all the necessary safeguards in place. We look forward to continuing our workp.2
with the US Government to create hundreds of good paying and rewarding jobs, while
helping solve the climate crisis.”
This ASX release has been authorised by ioneer Managing Director, Bernard Rowe.
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