Nevada
No regulatory ‘shortcuts’ for mining exploration in Nevada
Re: “Lawmakers need statewide lithium plan, says conservation group,” Feb. 20:
As a retired exploration geologist, I’ve noted multiple articles on the recent lithium boom to be misleading. Most recently, the article by the Nevada Current’s Jeniffer Solis presents a very misleading picture of the lithium “boom,” leaving the reader to believe that legislative and regulatory reforms are needed. Although there are certainly places where resource extraction should be prohibited, the vast majority of these are already withdrawn as wilderness areas, wildlife refuges, cultural sites and other off-limits sites.
The article begins by stating that there are more than 80 proposed lithium projects in Nevada, failing to note the status of any project. Currently one new lithium mine is under construction, and one project is in the process of mine permitting. A small number are conducting early-stage drilling under BLM and state permits. Most are simply lithium prospects staked by small companies or individuals. Many never reach the initial drill stage, and very few prove viable beyond initial drilling.
As exploration geologists, we don’t get to choose where a mineral deposit occurs; we follow geological clues to find the very few deposits that can be extracted economically. The Tonopah area is a lithium exploration hot spot due to the favorable geologic environment. The Town of Tonopah was built on silver-gold deposits discovered there in the early 1900s, and this geological environment is also favorable to host other deposits including copper, molybdenum and lithium.
Oversight from multiple agencies
Solis claims that “according to the Association of State Geologists, the United States lacks an effective process for gathering, organizing, compiling or publicly sharing geologic data that would help in the identification of valuable mineral deposits.” While there is much room for improvement, multiple agencies with appropriate expertise are charged with these tasks.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is the principle federal agency with that responsibility; Congress recently appropriated funds for that purpose. The Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology (NVBMG) and Nevada Division of Minerals cooperate with the USGS and several State entities (including UNR, UNLV, and DRI) to conduct detailed geologic evaluations which better define prospective areas and historic mine sites for valuable resources (metals, geothermal).
In addition to the geological surveys, the USGS, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Nevada Division of Wildlife are charged with ecosystem management and protection of threatened and endangered species. All of this data is public and available via the UNR library, USGS and NVBMG and other websites. Regulators, mining companies and the general public rely extensively on this data to begin the more rigorous search for resources of interest, in addition to environmental or cultural concerns.
Federal and state permitting begins before the first exploration disturbance can occur. For initial exploration projects with minimal disturbance (less than five acres), this is typically a 15-day review of the project and its potential impacts on biological, cultural and other resources; protective measures are stipulated. If the initial work produces encouraging results, additional permitting requires detailed biological, cultural and other surveys conducted by independent experts. Results of these studies are compiled into environmental assessments or environmental impact statements under the direction of the BLM or U.S. Forest Service and multiple state agencies. Under an exploration plan of operations, disturbance remains limited and timing of activities may also be significantly restricted. These more advanced permits typically require a minimum of 18 months to prepare prior to allowing additional disturbance. Assuming that exploration successfully defines a viable project, mine permitting requires additional studies and review, tacking a minimum of 18-24 months to the timeline for a small, minimal impact operation.
No ‘shortcuts’ exist
Permitting of exploration and mining projects is increasingly difficult throughout the West, due in part to lawsuits filed by activist groups, including Patrick Donnelly’s Center for Biological Diversity. The CBD claims to support domestic mining so long as it is “done in the right places and with the right techniques. We oppose business-as-usual mining, dewatering of open pits, pit lakes, excessive water consumption, extinction of species or severe degradation of habitat, and regulatory shortcuts …”
There are no regulatory “shortcuts.” As noted above, the permitting process begins with identification and avoidance of sensitive areas during exploration and appropriate mitigation prior to mining. Mitigation may include permanent avoidance of certain areas.
A reality check is in order for minerals to drive a “green transition,” as lithium is not the only critical metal needed. Mining of copper, nickel, cobalt, manganese will all need to be dramatically increased as well for production of batteries and other resource intensive items. Ultimately, the solution to determining where responsible mining occurs is through appropriate geological, biological and cultural studies. Appropriate funding and prioritization of the state geological surveys is critical to this objective.
Karl Marlowe is a recently retired mineral exploration geologist and lifelong outdoorsman.
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Nevada
Golden Knights recover for 2OT victory against Hurricanes in Game 3 of Cup Final | NHL.com
Marner scored 16 seconds later, when his backhanded shot from near the wall in the right face-off circle was inadvertently knocked into the net by Carolina defenseman Sean Walker, giving Vegas a 2-0 lead.
Marner made it 3-0 at 14:32, 11 seconds after he hit the right post on a breakaway. Brayden McNabb kept the puck in the zone and found Marner low behind all five Carolina skaters, where he scored off a forehand-to-backhand deke for his second goal in 3:50 and Vegas’ third in 4:06.
“‘Nabber’ just coming in on that pinch, just the patience and play he made to me to allow me to get around the net was phenomenal,” Marner said.
Marner’s third goal came off another breakaway. He got loose past Alexander Nikishin, took a pass from Hertl, skated into the right circle and made it 4-0 with a far-side slap shot that went in off Andersen’s blocker at 16:52.
Bussi stopped his penalty shot early in the third to keep it a 4-0 game.
“I’m thinking we need to score that and I’m not lying to you because they came back and scored four,” Tortorella said. “I’m thinking we need another one just to keep on going.”
Martinook made it 4-1 at 7:03, cashing in on a strong forecheck by Seth Jarvis before getting hit from behind by Cole Smith.
“I just think we needed something good to happen,” Martinook said.
Hall cut the deficit to 4-2 at 7:29. Sebastian Aho stole the puck from McNabb in the offensive zone and from below the right circle sent a backhanded pass across to Hall, who scored from the far post.
Staal made it 4-3 at 7:42, scoring from the lower part of the left circle on a deflection of Jaccob Slavin’s shot off the left-wing half-wall.
Carolina also scored three goals on consecutive shots in the third period of Game 2 on Thursday.
Svechnikov tied it 4-4 at 18:18, scoring a power-play goal with Bussi pulled for the extra skater to make it a 6-on-4 situation. After the puck went to the net and got loose, Carolina forward Nikolaj Ehlers was pushed in as Svechnikov found it in the slot and shoved it into the net.
“I’ve experienced a lot of games in playoffs. I haven’t experienced one like this,” Tortorella said. “We could do nothing wrong in the second period and probably did everything wrong in the third period.”
But the game didn’t end there. It continued for 25 minutes and 38 seconds of overtime, until Theodore did the right thing, got the bounce and the reward.
“Not how we drew it up,” Vegas forward William Karlsson said, “but we’ll take it.”
NOTES: Carolina forward William Carrier left the game in the second period with an upper-body injury and did not return. Brind’Amour did not have an update on his status. … The Hurricanes lost in overtime for the first time in the playoffs this season (6-1). … McNabb played with a full cage because of facial injuries he sustained in the first period of Game 2, when he was struck in the face by an Ehlers slap shot. The defenseman played 35:47, finished with two assists, including the setup for Theodore’s winner, and was plus-3.
Nevada
Nevada troopers end 116 mph pursuit of speeding Camry near Battle Mountain
A high-speed pursuit that began near Battle Mountain ended with an arrest west of Elko after troopers used a tire deflation device to slow a fleeing driver who later ran from his vehicle, authorities said.
On Thursday, June 4, 2026, around 1:30, a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper observed a white Toyota Camry traveling in excess of the posted speed limit near Battle Mountain in Lander County. When the trooper attempted to stop the vehicle, it accelerated to 116 mph. The Camry began passing on the outside shoulder, and the pursuit was terminated in the interest of public safety.
At 2 p.m., another trooper observed the Camry near Carlin on Interstate 80 as it exited via the Central Carlin off-ramp. The vehicle accelerated and traveled west on Chestnut Street, then went south on State Route 278 toward Eureka. The Camry traveled down a mine access road off State Route 278, and the trooper lost visual contact. Additional troopers responded and attempted to locate the Camry along the mine access road but were unsuccessful.
At 3:02 p.m., the vehicle was observed traveling northbound on State Route 278 while being pursued by the Eureka County Sheriff’s Office and Carlin Police Department. Troopers then pursued the Camry on Interstate 80 eastbound from Carlin as it traveled 115 mph.
Troopers successfully deployed a tire deflation device, also known as a Stop Stick, as the vehicle entered the Carlin Tunnel. The Camry slowed to about 80 mph after the left front tire tread separated from the rim. The vehicle continued eastbound on Interstate 80 toward Elko and slowed to 20 mph.
The driver exited the moving vehicle near mile marker 297, about one mile west of the West Elko (State Route 535) interchange, and the vehicle came to rest in the center median. The driver ran south across the eastbound travel lanes and entered the ranching area south of Interstate 80.
For the next 30 minutes, law enforcement pursued the male suspect on foot through various terrain west of the city of Elko. At 3:48 p.m., the suspect was taken into custody without incident.
David Basil Mercer was booked into the Elko County Jail on charges of basic speed, 41+ mph over the posted speed limit; reckless driving; evade, elude or fail to stop; resisting a public officer; using or being under the influence of a controlled substance; possession of a controlled substance; and DUI.
Nevada Highway Patrol thanked its partner agencies, including the Eureka County Sheriff’s Office, Carlin Police Department, Elko Police Department, Elko County Sheriff’s Office, and the Parole and Probation Division of the Nevada State Police.
Nevada
More than 270,000 Nevadans have participated in the primary elections
More than a quarter-million Nevadans had participated in the state’s primary elections as of Friday afternoon, a few hours before the two weeks of early voting concluded.
The 270,008 people who had voted in person or returned a mail ballot amounted to a roughly 11 percent participation rate out of the more than 2.4 million active and inactive registered voters in Nevada as of Monday.
At least 181,139 ballots had been returned statewide, and 86,869 people had voted in person since May 23.
Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar, Nevada’s chief election official, said Friday that the early voting process had proceeded without hiccups, crediting county clerks and election workers.
“Everything has gone very smoothly,” he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “Clerks have been preparing for this moment since the day after the 2024 election.”
Aguilar said he otherwise wished turnout was higher.
Nevadans who want to vote in person still have one final chance: on Election Day Tuesday.
Those who wish to mail back their ballots can do so through that day, although Aguilar recommends that they take them to drop boxes or polling locations instead, to ensure that they are counted.
For now, Nevada law allows returned mail ballots to be counted several days after Election Day. Ballots postmarked by Election Day are accepted for up to four days, while mail returned without a legible postmark is accepted for up to three days.
A Supreme Court ruling — which is expected to come down after the primaries — could lead to the reversal of laws in Nevada and about a dozen other states that allow the counting of mail ballots received days after Election Day.
If the higher court rules against Mississippi, whose law was challenged by the Republican National Committee and the Mississippi Libertarian Party, the change could go into effect as early as November’s midterm elections.
“As opposed to any of the president’s executive orders, we can’t challenge a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court or file a lawsuit against it,” Aguilar said in late May. “We have to accept it.”
About 57,000 Clark County residents had voted early and in person as of Friday afternoon, state data showed. Almost 108,000 had returned their mail ballots.
Aguilar said that he’s been encouraging clerks to push voters whose mail ballots require signature verification, a process known as curing, to get it done as soon as possible.
Clark County had flagged at least 1,621 ballots that needed curing as of Friday afternoon. At least 543 of those voters had since verified their signatures.
There is a plethora of nonpartisan and partisan local, state and federal races on the ballot. Some can be won outright this month. For others, like congressional and the governor’s races, voters will have a chance to dwindle the field that will then face off in November.
Nevada offers same-day, in-person registration for inactive voters, which requires a state identification card. Registered voters can track their ballots at myballot.nv.gov and update their contact information at vote.nv.gov.
Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.
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