Feds launching review of mine at site of endangered flower

By SCOTT SONNER
Associated Press

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Days after U.S. wildlife officials declared a Nevada wildflower endangered at the site of a proposed lithium mine, federal land managers are initiating a review of the project plans the developer says will allow the mine and flower to co-exist. The Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management published a notice of intent Tuesday to move forward with the environmental review. It comes on the heels of the Fish and Wildlife Service’s determination last week Tiehm’s buckwheat is on the brink of extinction. The Australian mining company says it hopes to begin mining lithium to make batteries in electric cars by 2026. Environmentalists say they are gearing up for another fight in court.