The Bureau of Land Management, Vale District has issued a decision on the Environmental Assessment for the HiTech Lithium Exploration Plan of Operations.  The Record of Decision and the accompanying documents are available in the Documents tab on the left of this page. 

BLM seeks input on proposed lithium exploration in McDermitt Caldera

The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment on a proposal to explore for lithium in the McDermitt Caldera near Nevada in Malheur County, Oregon. If approved, HiTech Minerals Inc. could modify approximately 100 acres with 267 exploration drill sites across 7,200 acres of public lands.

Additional information is available at the BLM National NEPA Register where comments may be submitted through the ‘Participate Now’ option (preferred). Comments may also be submitted via email to [email protected] 

The public comment period will close April 25, 2025.

Background:

September 15, 2023 - Scoping Comment Period Closes.

August, 2023 - Added McDermitt Community meeting materials (Powerpoints). See "Documents" to the left.  The Public Scoping period ends September 15, 2023 Close of Business.

August 15, 2023 - Plan of Operation (non-proprietary sections) uploaded; scoping period was extended to September 15, 2023

July 31 - August 29, 2023 - BLM is opening a 30-day Public Scoping period, seeking input on the proposed McDermitt Caldera Hi-Tech Lithium Exploration project. See "Participation Periods" to the left.

July 26, 2023 - BLM has posted the "Project Initiation Letter" to ePlanning. This document summarizes the project, provides an initial timeline for completion of - and steps involved in - the NEPA Analysis, and provides two maps showing the project area. Find the Project Initiation Letter under "Documents" to the left.

July 25, 2023: HiTech Minerals, Inc. has submitted a proposed plan of operations to conduct the McDermitt Exploration Project.  The project is in southeast Oregon approximately 20 miles west of McDermitt, NV, on BLM-administered lands in Malheur County. Comments received during this 30-day public scoping period may be used to develop an environmental assessment that will evaluate the potential environmental consequences of the proposed plan.

“The scoping period is an opportunity to help the BLM identify the issues, impacts, and potential alternatives to consider as a part of its National Environmental Policy Act analysis of the proposed plan,” Malheur Field Manager Jonah Blustain said. “Substantive comments will better inform our analysis which informs the decision.”

The proposed plan currently encompasses a 7,200-acre project area and would authorize almost 100 acres of disturbances from 267 exploration drill sites, the construction of 30.2 miles of new access routes, and other temporary disturbances to store the necessary equipment for the exploration activities. Subsurface hydrological, geophysical, and geochemical data may be collected during the proposed drilling activities as well. Exploration drilling would occur annually between July 1 to November 30 for up to 5 years and concurrent reclamation of the disturbances would occur after each drill season. 

The public will have another opportunity to review and provide comments on the environmental assessment prior to the proposed plan’s approval. If the proposed plan of operations for exploration is approved, the previously authorized Notice Level of Operations would be closed, and the associated reclamation obligations and financial guarantee requirements currently in place would be transferred to the approved plan.