"A U.S. federal judge said on Wednesday she will rule by July 29 on whether to temporarily block Lithium Americas Corp from excavating its Thacker Pass site in Nevada, which could become one of the country's biggest lithium mines.

Environmentalists sued earlier this year to block the proposed lithium mine, arguing that it could threaten sage grouse habitats and that the former President Donald Trump's administration erred when it approved it in January. read more

Chief Judge Miranda Du of the federal court in Reno held a Wednesday hearing to determine whether excavation work at the mine site should first be blocked while she considers the broader question of whether approval should have been issued in the first place."

Ernest Scheyder reports for Reuters July 21, 2021. [2]