Emerging lithium-boron producer Ioneer said it is one step closer toward construction at its Rhyolite Ridge project in Nevada, following the Bureau of Land Management’s issuance of the project’s draft Environmental Impact Statement.  The draft EIS is the first to be issued from the Biden administration as part of its efforts to accelerate domestic lithium production. “This news sets a clear path forward to construction and brings us one step closer to making Rhyolite Ridge a reality. Rhyolite Ridge will be a significant, reliable and sustainable source of critical minerals for the Unite ..read more

Signal Peak Energy President and CEO Parker Phipps told Yellowstone County Commissioners that unless it can expand onto federal land, Montana’s only underground coal mine could cease operations next year, reported local media. Phipps said the Bull Mountain mine is facing potential closure after U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy halted Signal Peak from beginning a 175-million-ton expansion until the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement studies the environmental impacts of the mine. Signal Peak has filed a lawsuit seeking a timely review from the agency. Phipps said a pause in p ..read more

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has issued a final rule to better protect the nation’s miners from health hazards associated with exposure to respirable crystalline silica. It lowers the permissible exposure limit to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air for a full-shift exposure, calculated as an eight-hour, time-weighted average. If a miner’s exposure exceeds the limit, the final rule requires mine operators to take immediate corrective actions to come into compliance. “It is unconscionable that our nation’s miners have worked without adequate protection from silica dust de ..read more

Photo: Ascot Resources Canadian explorer Ascot Resources has commenced ore processing at its Premier gold project on Nisga’a Nation Treaty Lands in northwestern British Columbia. The company anticipates the pouring of first gold later this month.  Waste rock was initially introduced into the grinding circuit of the mill on March 31 in order to pad the semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) and Ball mill liners with barren material. Once that commissioning step was completed, the grinding system was re-torqued and gold-bearing ore was introduced into the mill on April 5. “The start of ore process ..read more

Coeur Mining said its newly expanded Rochester silver-gold mine in Nevada achieved commercial production as of March 31. It is expected to become America’s largest source of domestically produced and refined silver. “Following its full hand-off to the operations team in early March, the expanded Rochester mine has ushered in a new growth phase for Coeur leading to higher silver and gold production levels, lower unit costs, and positive free cash flow,” said Mitchell J. Krebs, president and chief executive officer.  “The invaluable experience and learnings gleaned over the past three years ..read more

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) said it will provide free and confidential black lung screenings to coal miners through a mobile testing unit stopping at locations in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia. Photo: NIOSH All coal miners (current, former, underground, surface, and those under contract) are encouraged to participate. The screenings support early detection of black lung disease, a serious but preventable disease in coal miners caused by breathing coal mine dust. “The NIOSH mobile unit plays an important role in the early detection of black ..read more

Franklin Electric Co., recently recognized several employees for their outstanding achievements towards business goals and customer satisfaction in 2023. The company presented the awards at its annual Commercial Summit, a multi-day event dedicated to strategic planning and continuing education. The winners of this year’s awards for outstanding performance, sales and support were: Dan Hilgendorf U.S./Canada Salesperson of the Year: Dan Hilgendorf Hilgendorf is an energetic sales professional dedicated to growing his region while continuing to overserve his loyal Franklin Electric customers. He ..read more

Canada Nickel Company has appointed Stantec to provide environmental consulting services for its Crawford Nickel project north of Timmons, Ontario, Canada, which is set to be of the world’s largest nickel operations. When online, it will help bring needed nickel and cobalt to the rapidly growing electric vehicle market. Stantec’s scope of work includes preparation of an impact statement, class environmental assessments (Class EAs), supporting technical studies to assess project impacts, and identifying mitigation measures. It will also confirm follow-up programs for the project. The open-pit ..read more

Photo: Surge Battery Metals Surge Battery Metals has concluded an entry and exploration agreement with the Salmon River Cattlemen’s Association (SRCA) that extends permission for Surge to commence drilling and other surface use on the parcels of SRCA private ground as the miner advances the Nevada North Lithium project. Surge holds fractional (25%) ownership of the sub-surface mineral rights of the parcels.  The miner intends to drill four reverse circulation holes on the SRCA parcels to test extensions of high-grade lithium mineralization outlined in previous Surge drilling to the north ..read more

During the West Virginia Mining Symposium, which took place March 26-27 in Charleston alongside the West Virginia Coal Show, the West Virginia Coal Association recognized and celebrated exemplary mine safety and environmental excellence achievements of mining industry operations across the state. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and the West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety & Training co-sponsor this special mining awards program.  SAFETY AWARDS “Safety always has been and continues to be our top priority in the coal industry,” said West Virginia Coal ..read more