NV lithium mine used in EV production receives $700M conditional loan from US Energy Department

A Nevada lithium mine may receive a $700 million loan contingent on an environmental impact statement, as the project could damage an endangered flower species.

The loan would be the latest project to demonstrate the Biden administration's commitment to strengthen the nation's battery supply chain, electrify the transportation sector and cut reliance on fossil fuels and foreign supplies of raw materials, the Department of Energy said.

The proposed Ioneer project has run up against an endangered Nevada wildflower, Tiehm's buckwheat, that the Fish and Wildlife Service has said is on the brink of extinction. Conservationists have sued in the past to protect the 6-inch-tall plant with yellow blooms.