Lithium Americas signs agreement with Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe over Thacker Pass

Last October 20 Lithium Americas announced in Canada its signing of the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) with Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe (Tribe) over Thacker Pass.

The Tribe is located approximately 40 miles from the Thacker Pass project, in Humboldt County, Nevada. The CBA establishes a framework for ongoing collaboration. Defines long-term benefits to the tribe, which makes up the largest Native American community within the Project’s vicinity.

“We are pleased to have the support of the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe as we move through Thacker Pass. We look forward to future generations of collaboration,” said Jonathan Evans, President and CEO. “We are focused on being a good neighbor, hiring locally, and providing the job training to prepare tribal members. Looking for a long-term family life, supporting careers critical to developing a North American battery supply chain.”

The CBA provides the Tribe with additional job training opportunities as well as support for education and cultural preservation.

In turn, Lithium Americas has agreed to build an 8,000 square foot community center for the Tribe that includes a daycare, preschool, playground, cultural center and community greenhouse to support recovery efforts and generate revenue for the Tribe.

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Far Western lends a hand to the project

Far Western Anthropological Research Group completed cultural work on approximately 13,000 acres at Thacker Pass. Cultural work was a key requirement of the National Environmental Policy Law process and found no areas of archaeological importance in the Project.

“We are pleased to have the support of the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe as we move through Thacker Pass. We look forward to future generations of collaboration,” said Jonathan Evans.

About the status of the project

The Company is moving forward with all areas required to support the start of construction, including the final selection of an engineering, procurement and construction management contractor, along with an evaluation of the partnership and supply agreements, as well as the progress of advanced technology vehicles held by the US Department of Energy such as the manufacturing loan program.

In addition, Lithium Americas has received all necessary federal and state environmental permits to begin construction. A ruling on the appeal against the Bureau of Land Management on the issuance of the Record of Decision is awaited.

Following the completion of briefings on August 11, 2022, the US District Court for Nevada scheduled an oral hearing for January 5, 2023.