Eye on Energy No.4
Anson Resource's A1 Lithium company holds 'town hall', makes progress on permitting
Since this issue went to print, Anson’s new water rights were confirmed by the state engineer, as noted in Anson’s announcement here and on the Utah Water Rights website here.
Anson Resources held a meeting at their site office on August 29th, where about 10 people gathered to hear updates from lobbying consultant Mike Swenson on the Anson-owned A1 Lithium project in town. The meeting took place about a day after Swenson began an online petition that begins “We, the undersigned residents of Green River, Utah and surrounding areas, wish to express our strong support for A1 Lithium's proposed lithium project” with at least a few marked as signing from Australia by the petition website (Anson is based in Australia and traded on their national stock exchange).
At the meeting Swenson shared a video showing a direct lithium extraction process ExxonMobil plans to use in southwest Arkansas that is similar to what A1 is testing in Green River. He mentioned this project, along with others being planned across the U.S., to underscore the urgency in developing lithium mining in Green River. If successful, he said that A1’s lithium would mostly go towards making electric vehicle batteries, but that they were still assessing the economic viability of the local material.
Swenson noted that he’s annoyed people are trying to stop this project, likely referring to the legal protestations that prompted the state engineer to put Anson’s water rights application on hold. He pointed out that his client has already invested money in Green River, such as becoming title sponsor of this year’s Melon Days (listed cost of $2,500). He said that Green River citizens are his client’s first priority.
Permitting moves along
As of August 26, 2024, Anson-owned Blackstone (which has been the subsidiary handling permitting for Anson-owned A1 Lithium) was granted an underground injection permit by the state. This would allow A1 to reinject the lithium brine it extracts and processes at its drilling sites. The reinjection needs to be in the same geological formation but can be at a shallower depth. Anson CEO Bruce Richardson said “Progress in the past 12 months at Green River has been much faster than that of the Paradox [ed: another Anson site closer to Moab than Green River] due to the ownership of the surface area and the support from the local and state government departments and representatives for which we are extremely grateful.”
At their August 13 meeting, City Council gave preliminary approval for Anson/Blackstone to extend and connect to City water and sewer lines for 500 gallons per day to supply restrooms and emergency showers for 50 people. There are a few extension options for each, ranging from extending under the railroad, along the Main Street bridge over the railroad, along the railroad bridge, or underneath the river. The Council clarified that no specific options were approved and that engineering and construction of these extensions would be done at Anson’s expense.