Judge upholds US government approval of ioneer's Nevada lithium mine

Source: Reuters

March 30, 2026 3:35 PM EDT Updated 9 hours ago


March 30 (Reuters) - A federal judge rejected claims by environmentalists that the U.S. ​government in 2024 improperly approved Australia-based ioneer's (INR.AX) Rhyolite Ridge lithium and boron mine project in Nevada in a ruling ‌on Monday that boosts efforts to increase U.S. critical minerals production.

U.S. District Judge Cristina Silva ruled in Las Vegas that U.S. Interior Department regulators during Democratic former President Joe Biden's administration sufficiently analyzed how the planned Rhyolite Ridge mine could affect Tiehm's buckwheat, a rare wildflower that ioneer has vowed to protect.

Shares of ioneer ​gained about 24% in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange. The company is still seeking a financial partner ​for the project after Sibanye Stillwater (SSWJ.J) pulled out last year.

The mine is slated to become one of North ⁠America's largest sources of lithium, a metal important for batteries, and a key supplier to automaker Ford (F.N) and others. The Center for Biological ​Diversity environmental group, which filed suit in a bid to halt the project, had argued that the mine could drive the flower to extinction ​and harm groundwater, air quality, cultural resources and wildlife habitats.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/judge-upholds-us-government-approval-ioneers-nevada-lithium-mine-2026-03-30/