By Robin Hunt
On Wednesday, A1 Lithium and Blackstone Minerals held a discussion at Green River City Hall to discuss the Lithium Project.
Spokesman Mike Swenson, raised in Emery, led the discussion. He began by showing a video that depicted the drilling process for the project. Swenson described a water leak that took place at the drill, and talked about the measures they took to handle the water flow. The processes included “killing the well” which simply means to stop the flow through the use of some specific tools called “muds”. They also have berms in place to handle any overflow that may escape prior to successfully killing the well.
Swenson then welcomed some questions at this point. One of those questions was why they moved the location of this discussion from the location of the drill to the city offices. Swenson explained that the “Open House” tour will still happen, but for the purpose of this meeting, they wanted to have more space to have this discussion, and to protect their methods of processing the lithium from malicious intentions.
“We are looking at a green future, we want low-impact.” Swenson stated about the company.
Swenson then turned the time over to Sherri Mantanona who led a presentation that shared the goals of the company and the impact they expect to have on the Green River community.
A1 Lithium wants to be in long-term production of Lithium. Their mission statement is: “A1 Lithium aspires to be at the forefront of global energy transformation by bringing high purity lithium to the marketplace, using a combination of eco-friendly processing methods and environmentally responsible management philosophy.”
The full-scale facility is estimated to take about two and a half years of construction, estimated to be completed in 2027. Their goal is to be good neighbors and cut back on their environmental footprint.
“One of the things that matters to us is a domestic supply of Lithium.” Swenson stated. “This is an opportunity for us to develop a truly green source of lithium. We can recycle approximately 90% of our water.”
They will always be looking ahead to see how they can do it better, but they were excited about this research coming back with so little water loss.
They are expecting to be able to hire 55+ people with an average salary of $120,000. Swenson stressed that their goal is for the company and the community to have a good relationship, build local capacities and reduce conflict.
Some public comments expressed concern on the impact A1 Lithium will have on things like EMS and housing in the community. Swenson replied that they don’t have the answers right now but they are aware of these issues and have intentions to work with the county and local government to address them.
There will be chemicals involved in the process, but A1 Lithium doesn’t have an exact list of those chemicals yet. They will primarily be shipped via rail.
Green River City Manager Tyler Hunt spoke and described how easy A1 Lithium has been to work with, their transparency and their discussions have been very beneficial. He talked about wanting to see Green River “get a slice of the pie” of Lithium in America, and enjoy some of the benefits that could come because of this project. Namely, good jobs and beneficial growth.
Concerns about proximity to the river were discussed. Swenson described an extensive permitting process and the science behind it that proves how low-risk the project is. They plan to have the drill as far away from the river as they can on their property.
“Lithium and water are very safe together, there is no chance of oxidizing or exploding.” Said an A1 Lithium employee.
“These guys have been very forthcoming, the Conditional Use Permit alone was 47 pages long. I feel that they are doing everything they can to make this process safe and environmentally proper for the area,” Green River Councilman Guy Webster stated.
You can ask questions and discuss with A1 Lithium directly by contacting them at michaels@ansonresources.com.