GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — Editor's Note: The video above originally aired on April 15, 2024.
Piedmont Lithium has received an approved mining permit, which will allow it to mine for lithium in rural Gaston County.
On Tuesday, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NC DEQ) said its Division of Energy, Mineral and Land Resources (DEMLR) issued the permit, which covers 1,548 acres. 964 of those acres are bonded for disturbance.
The permit requires Piedmont Lithium to follow provisions for wastewater and stormwater discharge, air quality and dust control, blasting and buffers between the mining site and any nearby waterways. It also requires the company to use a synthetic liner in its waste rock disposal site and additional water monitoring.
Piedmont Lithium will need to sample surface water every two weeks, monitor water levels and pH levels weekly around above-ground storage areas, sample and analyze water quality in wells on a monthly basis, and sample a groundwater monitor well network located near in-pit rock storage.
The permit means the company is one step closer to making its mining operation in Gaston County a reality. There are more permits needed for air quality and wastewater discharge, and Piedmont Lithium will need to abide by local zoning regulations and ordinances.
People in Cherryville have been pushing against the proposed lithium mine for the last few years. However, several people WCNC Charlotte spoke with on Main Street said the project is too divisive of an issue to share their opinions on camera.
"I think we’re a silent majority," one resident, who asked to be anonymous, said. "A lot of people are afraid to say anything about it because they are bringing a lot to the town as far as money."
The resident's biggest concern is the mine's impact on the environment. "I just don’t feel like it’s good for us and I think we should take a stance for that," she said.
Several houses in the Cherryville area have signs in their yards that have a large "no" symbol over the words: "Gaston County pit mine."
Piedmont Lithium is promising hundreds of jobs and an economic impact in the billions if the mine is approved. Demand for lithium has surged in recent years for electric vehicle batteries.
Piedmont Lithium’s CEO Keith Phillips said in a statement on Monday that the mine would help the U.S. speed toward a cleaner future:
“We plan to develop Carolina Lithium as one of the lowest-cost, most sustainable lithium hydroxide operations in the world, and as a critical part of the American electric vehicle supply chain.”
The company still has several steps to take in hopes of opening the mine, but some worry it’s a done deal.
"They’ve done so much investment now that I think it's gonna go through," the anonymous resident said.
Piedmont Lithium told WCNC Charlotte it still needs to obtain other permits and file a petition with Gaston County to go through the official rezoning process.
Contact Julia Kauffman at jkauffman@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.