Hard rock and evaporation ponds may not be extinct anytime soon...

Hard rock and evaporation ponds may not be extinct anytime soon but may lose major market share over time to more environmentally friendlier supply.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-chile-sqm/lithium-miner-sqm-considering-options-after-environmental-court-ruling-idUSKBN1YV1JZ

The court said its decision took account of the “particular fragility” of the Atacama´s ecosystem and the “high level of scientific uncertainty” about the behavior of its water table.

The court ruling calls into jeopardy SQM´s $400 million plan to expand its lithium carbonate production plant to feed appetite for the ultralight battery metal.


https://www.pv-magazine.com/2020/02/08/is-fair-lithium-from-chile-possible/

The lithium extraction process lowers the groundwater level in the desert region which contributes to desertification. The production of lithium in the Salar de Atacama consumes around 1.5 million liters of water per metric ton of lithium carbonate. High water consumption in desert regions is a weak link in lithium production. “Water is being evaporated in the driest region on earth – a paradox,” said Carolina Ferreira, a lawyer specialized in the sector and former department head at the Ministry of Mining in Santiago.

In the Laguna Chaxa nature reserve near the Soquimich lithium mine in Salar de Atacama, employees are reluctant to talk about the impact of lithium mining. When asked whether the lagoon used to be larger, a tourist guide pointed to the ponds and said that it “used to be a continuous lake”. The drying up of the lagoons mainly affects the flamingos which feed on microorganisms in the water and are, in turn, a dietary staple of foxes.

The subsistence economy of neighboring indigenous communities is also affected by the drop in groundwater. However, the Atacama desert is not a region that is particularly rich in species or characterized by strong agricultural activity. The main sources of income for the region around the Salar de Atacama are mining and tourism around the town of San Pedro.


Environmental Downsides of Hard Rock mining
— Large physical footprint
— Requires evaporation ponds
— Residual salt waste can be toxic
— Large amounts of water required
— Longer production lead times

Environmental Downsides of Hard Rock mining
—Large physical footprint
— Permanent environmental effects
— Large amounts of tailings
— Generally processed overseas
— Longer production lead times