Ioneer’s Rhyolite Ridge Project Moves Toward Construction
Release of
NORTH
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240414358303/en/
Image 1: Revised Plan Based on Stakeholder Feedback: 2020 Proposed Plan of Operations: 292.9 acres of disturbance within critical habitat before concurrent reclamation to establish functional pollinator habitat. 2.98 acres of direct impact to Tiehm’s buckwheat subpopulations. Subpopulations 4, 5, 6a, 6b, and 7 affected.(Graphic: Business Wire)
The draft document will include Ioneer’s efforts to redesign and relocate proposed project activity away from Tiehm’s buckwheat, an endangered species classified by the
The draft EIS will be available for public comment beginning Friday, 19 April. Reaching this stage of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) permitting process reflects federal inter-agency collaboration and agreement that the draft document is ready for public input. Following the prescribed 45-day comment period, which will include BLM-organized public meetings, the BLM will incorporate feedback into a final draft and issue a final EIS and a Record of Decision (ROD), expected in
“The forthcoming release of the draft EIS represents six years of hard work to help build America’s critical minerals supply chain and reaffirms the viability of our investment in
“This news sets a clear path forward to construction and brings us one step closer to making
Once operational, Ioneer’s
At the request of the BLM and FWS to further minimise impacts to the plant and its critical habitat, Ioneer’s revised design, set to be released on Friday, additionally changed the location of the quarry and overburden storage facilities to avoid any direct impacts to nearby subpopulations of Tiehm’s buckwheat and mitigate any potential indirect impacts.
Figure 1 (Refer to Images 1-3): Summary of progressive changes to avoid direct impacts to Tiehm’s buckwheat subpopulations (solid purple areas) and minimise disturbance within the designated critical habitat (dashed purple line). Project related surface disturbance is shown in solid grey areas. The critical habitat extends 500m in all directions from the sub-populations and covers 368 hectares (910 acres).
To date,
Ioneer’s investments to protect Tiehm’s buckwheat represent one piece of a comprehensive sustainability strategy at the proposed site. The on-site processing facility, supported by the company’s
Ioneer’s approach to water management also differs from other current and proposed domestic producers. Rhyolite Ridge will recycle half of all water used. The Project will not have evaporation ponds or tailings dams and large parts of the quarry will be backfilled with overburden as mining progresses and ultimately concludes.
Estimated Project Timeline
Ioneer’s estimated timing for the
Table 1: Ioneer Milestones (estimated and subject to change)
Milestone |
Targeted timing2 |
Comment |
Anticipated ROD |
|
Based on the current BLM timeline. |
Anticipated FID |
|
Based on current management estimates. |
Estimated Period to First
|
24-36 months |
Includes supply of long-lead items and construction.
|
Anticipated Commercial
|
2027 |
Produce and process high-grade lithium and boron. |
This ASX release has been authorised by Ioneer Managing Director,
About
In
To learn more about
Important notice and disclaimer
Forward-looking statements
This announcement contains certain forward-looking statements and comments about future events, including Ioneer’s expectations about the Project and the performance of its businesses. Forward looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as ‘expect’, ‘anticipate’, ‘likely’, ‘intend’, ‘should’, ‘could’, ‘may’, ‘predict’, ‘plan’, ‘propose’, ‘will’, ‘believe’, ‘forecast’, ‘estimate’, ‘target’ and other similar expressions within the meaning of securities laws of applicable jurisdictions. Indications of, and guidance on, the Conditional Commitment, financing plans, future earnings or financial position or performance are also forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and there is a risk that such predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved. Forward-looking statements are provided as a general guide only and should not be relied on as an indication or guarantee of future performance. Forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainty and other factors which can cause Ioneer’s actual results to differ materially from the plans, objectives, expectations, estimates, and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements and many of these factors are outside the control of
Except as required by law or the ASX Listing Rules,
________________________ |
1 “BLM takes next step on proposed |
2 Note: all dates are estimates only and are subject to change. |
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240414358303/en/
Investor Relations (
E: ir@Ioneer.com
FGS Global
Media Relations (
E: daniel.francis@fgsglobal.com
Source: