For years, the Jequitinhonha River Valley, in southeastern Brazil, carried the stigma of being a very poor area, marked by the hunger and illiteracy. But it turns out that treasure was hiding in the parched, drought-hit land: enormous reserves of lithium — what some Brazilian politicians have called “white oil.” The mineral — key to making batteries for smartphones or electric cars — has triggered a new global fever and filled this depressed region with optimism But it has brought a worrying trail of collateral effects We can transform all this mineral wealth into good services for the population The triangle formed by Argentina, Chile and Bolivia is home to more reserves of lithium but Brazil is rapidly escalating production and is already the fifth-largest producer in the world according to Brazil’s Ministry of Mines and Energy All production is in the state of Minas Gerais Local authorities immediately recognized its value: lithium was seen as a golden opportunity to leave behind a past of misery an ally of former president Jair Bolsonaro presented the Lithium Valley Brazil project on the Nasdaq The company that has taken the lead is Canada’s Sigma Lithium it shipped the first tons of Brazilian lithium to China The company claims to be the first mining company in the world to produce “green lithium,” because it uses clean energy supplies itself with non-potable water and does not use tailings dams This waste is easily seen from the houses of the small village of Poço Dantas which is home to the families most affected by lithium extraction they have been living with constant dust and the noise of the underground detonations to extract the mineral Many of the humble brick houses have cracks It is greedy exploitation,” says Vanderlei Pinheiro de Souza “what used to be called a farmer,” he jokes corn and cassava for his own consumption and Pinheiro de Souza feels that the company’s arrival is destroying the traditional way of life and that the area’s already damaged natural balance is under even greater threat The Jequitinhonha Valley is a semi-arid region where the sound of water in rivers is heard only a few months of the year That’s why alarm bells went off when Sigma Lithium which already has a plant running at full steam asked for permission to do an “initial geological evaluation” in Chapada do Lagoão a natural reserve with 139 springs that acts as the valley’s water pump Both the city council and the company wanted to know how much lithium is hidden beneath this protected area The authorization depended on the park’s governing council made up of entities and people with diverse interests who says that he received a lot of pressure to give the go-ahead The permit passed by a slim majority of votes, but made little progress. The Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB), which is very active against abuses by mining companies in the area, appealed to the courts and the Public Prosecutor’s Office called for the process to be stopped, arguing that the local communities —made up of a handful of quilombos settlements founded by enslaved Black people fleeing forced labor — had not been consulted the company says that the allegations that it sought to extract lithium from the natural park were “completely false and unfounded,” and that it decided not to explore the area The biggest concern now is managing resources for a demographic boom the city is not prepared for it has created a 1,000 direct jobs and 13,000 indirect jobs With the arrival of new workers and residents more hospital beds or more spots at school and the city council and its small staff of officials are struggling to cope The needs have come before the promised resources that lithium would bring the law stipulates that mining companies must pay 2% of the value of their sales to the state to compensate the regions where the minerals are extracted and that 60% of the resources collected remain in the hands of the municipalities but municipal coffers are not exactly in good shape It is true that we are at the beginning of operations and adjustments have to be made but last year we received two or three monthly payments and this year only one the city’s budget could grow by 5% thanks to the lithium royalties it is quite difficult for Barbosa to criticize lithium companies in addition to providing work for residents the large profits of these multinationals mean they can provide services the local government can’t afford has a microcredit program that benefits 1,800 women has paid for the renovation of a rural school and plans to donate 3,000 cisterns to the poorest families to store rainwater will put another plant into operation this year and has just paved a “fabulous” road “It’s the same old marketing,” Nicolly Caroline the organization that prevented Sigma Lithium from exploring the lithium deposits in the natural park from the dust that covers the city to the increase in gender violence due to the numerous foreigners who have been arriving in recent months the lithium fever is bread today and hunger tomorrow People who go to work in certain areas come home worse due to respiratory diseases [...] then the company leaves and what we are left with are the impacts when will we be able to buy an electric car?” she asks Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAÍS USA Edition ¿Quieres añadir otro usuario a tu suscripción ¿Por qué estás viendo esto? cambia tu suscripción a la modalidad Premium Cada uno accederá con su propia cuenta de email lo que os permitirá personalizar vuestra experiencia en EL PAÍS ¿Tienes una suscripción de empresa? 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(CSE: HZ) (OTCQB: HZLIF) (FSE: QE2) ("Hertz" and/or the "Company") is pleased to announce the acquisition of the option (the "Option") to acquire a 100% interest in the Patriota Lithium Project The Company acquired the Option pursuant to the terms and conditions of an option assignment agreement (the "Assignment Agreement") entered into among the Company granted pursuant to an option agreement (the "Option Agreement") entered into among Brascan Through the acquisition of the Option, Hertz gains access to a strategically located and highly prospective lithium project situated in the mining friendly state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. A key advantage lies in the projects strategic location within the APD and proximal to the renowned EBPP, one of the most important pegmatite provinces around the world and a globally recognized hub for hard-rock lithium spodumene deposits this region accounts for 100% of all government presently recognized lithium reserves in Brazil making it highly valued for its abundant spodumene pegmatites Over the past two years, Brazil's importance in the lithium exploration space has expanded significantly with the tremendous success of Sigma Lithium Corp., followed by Latin Resources Limited, and the up and coming Lithium Ionic Corp. Figure 1: Eastern Brazilian Pegmatite Province Lithium District Figure 2: Map of Patriota Lithium Project Details of the lithium resources reported in Figures 1 and 2 are provided in the various company websites listed below No qualified person from Hertz Lithium has to verified the reported resource estimates and the estimates are not necessarily indicative of the mineralization on the property on the Patriota Project Hertz is only reporting these resource estimates as to support the regional potential for significant lithium mineralization The Patriota Lithium Project under Option for Hertz Lithium shows strong high-level prospectively criteria within the Araçuaí Pegmatite District (APD) and proximal to prolific EBPP The tenements are strategically located within the Salinas Formation metasedimentary rocks that were deposited prior to the Araçuaí orogeny The Salinas Formation hosts the most prolific lithium pegmatites in the region Pegmatite swarms intruded the region during the collisional Neoproterozoic to post-collisional Paleoproterozoic Araçuaí orogeny L-C-T pegmatites (Lithium - Cesium - Tantalum) include the pegmatitic granites surrounding the richest lithium pegmatites in the SIGMA/CBL/Lithium Ionic region as well as the nearest mapped (exposed) granite to the Patriota Lithium Project (16 kilometres to the north) The regional granite rocks are classified into five supersuites (G1 G4 and G5 formed during the post-collisional episode associated with the Gondwana Supercontinent's Trans-Amazonian event (CPRM 2016a the potential pegmatite corridor associated with lithium mineralized pegmatites with the G4 supersuite Hertz believes the association with proximal G4 suite granites supports the potential for a favourable association with regional pegmatite swarms within the tenement areas It is worth noting that both Sigma Lithium's Grota do Cirilo spodumene mine and Latin Resources Colina Project are surrounded by the same G4 supersuite granites as those mapped most closely to the tenements that Hertz holds the Option to acquire These compelling geological associations point to lithium potential within these exploration areas Hertz acknowledges that the tenements under Option have not undergone any exploration activities to date the existence of pegmatites and/or lithium mineralisation remains uncertain a comprehensive desktop review of the regional and local geology along with the presence of significant spodumene mining and development activities in close proximity offers supplementary evidence supporting the potential of the tenements As consideration for the acquisition of the Option and pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Assignment Agreement the Company has agreed to pay an aggregate of $148,000 in cash In order to exercise the Option in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Option Agreement The Optionors will retain a 2% NSR with the Company having the option to repurchase 1% of the NSR for a cash payment of $500,000 for a period of two years after the commencement of commercial production upon the confirmation of the existence of spodumene from surface sample assays results on the Patriota Lithium Project grading minimum 1% lithium the Company will be required to pay Brascan $100,000 in cash "We are laser focused to build Hertz Lithium into a multi-faceted lithium mineral exploration company with our Lucky Mica Lithium Project in Arizona and now the Patriota Lithium Project in Brazil and our Penn State Lithium Extraction Patent Licence We continue to seek additional high-quality projects across the world and build our lithium development portfolio into a strong offering for investors seeking an opportunity to invest into the generational investment opportunity that the lithium sector offers." and a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects has reviewed the scientific and technical information in this news release and has approved the disclosure herein For further information, please contact Hertz Lithium or view the Company's filings at www.sedarplus.ca https://hertzlithium.com CPRM 2016A: MAPA GEOLÓGICO E DE RECURSOS MINERAIS DE LÍTIO: CPRM 2016B: PROJETO AVALIACAO DO POTENCIAL DO LITIO NO BRASIL The Canadian Securities Exchange has not in any way passed upon the merits of the matters referenced herein and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements" that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices continued availability of capital and financing Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made Except as required by applicable securities laws the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs Revival Gold is is one of the largest, pure gold, mine developers in the United States. The Company is advancing engineering and economic studies on the Mercur Gold Project in Utah and mine permitting preparations and ongoing... LEARN MORE You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed a heavy-duty excavator loaded a truck with stone blocks containing lithium the “white gold” of the clean-energy revolution which some hope would transform this parched is one of the poorest places in the country nicknamed “misery valley,” is on the cusp of a boom: It is home to about 85 percent of the lithium reserves in Brazil the world’s fifth-biggest producer of the metal an essential ingredient in electric vehicle batteries Authorities in the region are eager to tap the potential of the silvery-white metal Last month they threw a fanfare-filled event at the NASDAQ stock exchange’s headquarters in New York where they launched an initiative to attract investment to what they are calling “Lithium Valley.” Some residents in the region of about 1 million people complain about the environmental impact of lithium mining others that local communities are not being included They want to call it ‘Lithium Valley.’ But let’s not put mining interests before our people’s identity,” said Aline Gomes Vilas chief executive of Canadian mining firm Sigma Lithium which started mining in the valley in April is among the first to tap its lithium reserves Its goal is to produce more than 600,000 vehicle batteries’ worth of the metal in its first year eventually scaling up to three times that amount Sigma calls itself a “green lithium” miner and emphasizes its social and environmental credentials Lithium mining is notoriously water-intensive a problem given that the metal is typically found in water-poor regions said her company reuses 90 percent of its water supplies protects the local stream and uses no chemicals in the mining process “Our entire operation is built around finding a balance between sustainability and mining,” she told reporters Gomes Vilas said it is already having a negative effect including damage to people’s homes from explosions used in the mining process There are already houses with cracks in the walls from the explosions,” she said “The whole house shakes every time there’s an explosion,” added Luiz Gonzaga a 71-year-old farm worker who lives next to the mine “They’re digging pretty far from me for now Imagine what it will be like when they start digging closer.” a country with a history of rapacious resource booms and busts needs to ensure communities like this benefit from lithium mining “The Jequitinhonha Valley has been through a gold rush a diamond rush and it never brought development,” said Ilan Zugman Latin America director for environmental group 350.org “We obviously believe the clean-energy transition needs to happen but it should be fair and inclusive for local communities,” he said the lithium mined in Brazil is almost entirely exported — not a good sign “Look at Europe and the United States: They have a strategy to develop the entire value chain of electric cars from mining to vehicle production,” she said Brazil risks deepening its dependency as a country that just exports raw materials Brazil — It is the middle of the night in Minas Gerais and work at the lithium mine in Jequitinhonha Valley does not stop Noise from hundreds of machines churning up the soil echoes off the mountains destroying the peace and quiet of the traditional communities living in the region when a line of trucks forms on top of a rise The rumbling mixed with the sound of engines reaches the 70 homes in the village called Piauí Poço Dantas established 150 years ago on the banks of Piauí Creek waste rock Pile 5 —stored unusable materials rejected from Brazil’s largest lithium mine Rising 20 meters (66 feet) above the ground and occupying 560,000 square meters (6 million square feet more than 110 football fields) of land area the pile’s size has quadrupled over the last 11 months and is now just a few meters from the creek and the homes in the village manager of the fund created to finance measures that fight climate changes In order to reach a 540,000-ton annual capacity starting in 2025 the piling area designated in the company’s initial plans had to be quadrupled The 400,000 m2 (4.3 million ft2) licensed in 2019 increased to 2 million m2 (21.5 million ft2) on its last operating license published in January by Minas Gerais’ Secretary of State for the Environment and Sustainable Development after a favorable statement from the State Environmental Foundation Sigma’s hurried growth is driven by high demand for the metal on the international market especially for the manufacture of electric cars in China Other mining companies are also competing for lithium extraction opportunities in the region today which is working an old subterranean mine next to Sigma’s The runaway growth of mining in the region has daily impact on local farmers Edvaldo Pereira Santos Born and raised in the traditional community of Piauí Poço Dantas the couple — together with all the people living there today — are suffering from lack of sleep have respiratory problems and are angered by Sigma’s encroaching wall of rubble as it steadily gains ground toward their home drink water from the creek and our kids didn’t get sick the children are always coughing and we have no peace,” says Angela as she lights her clay woodstove that sits behind her home face to face with the stockpile of waste rock The Piauí Poço Dantas community has no running water and Angela Santos makes the coffee with water distributed by Sigma The company gave water storage tanks to all the homes in the village and fills them with trucked-in water once a week “They told us not to drink water from the creek anymore,” Edvaldo says while their three grandchildren arrive with their son Evandro Evandro runs his finger over the surface of the table to show the dust that has settled there since the night before “This fine malacacheta [mineral] dust is killing us inside — from silicosis,” says the 35-year-old farmer naming the incurable occupational disease that affects the lungs of mine workers “My wife just got over having pneumonia and our three sons developed asthma They haven’t gotten better since this dust started falling.” 9-year-old João Miguel and 13-year-old Pedro Lucas) start their walk to school Almost no cars pass on the dirt road and the boys’ attention is caught by a blue and yellow macaw that flies low over their heads The macaw began interacting with people here after her mate was killed by high tension lines two years ago Edvaldo is already harvesting bananas in the field with other men from the village Evandro has stayed at home to take care of his wife who is still recuperating from her pneumonia he tells how part of the community resists taking jobs at the mining company he comments that many are not willing to subject themselves to the companies that are changing the community’s landscape and customs The women from the village meet up at the creek to wash dishes and clothing until the men and children come back “The water level has dropped over the last few years but I think that all this dust also has something to do with it,” says Ivanete Pinheiro Santos “I was fishing with a friend of mine yesterday and they [the mine operators] set off three explosions at once We had to tie our blouses over our faces because there was so much smelly smoke and dust falling on us The children are suffering from panic attacks and from pneumonia.” Angela Santos receives a visitor on the front porch of her home: 37-year-old community health worker Cleony Pereira who has been responsible for the health care of the 66 families in Piauí Poço Dantas since 2013 everyone here is complaining of sleep problems and in some cases are needing sleeping pills and antidepressants But what has really gotten worse with this mine are respiratory illnesses Many of the children and old people are dealing with recurrent pneumonia.” She points out that it is becoming difficult to treat patients at the regional hospital in Araçuaí “Our neighbor Jessica went there this morning early with her 2-year-old daughter People today wait as long as 12 hours to be seen at the São Vicente de Paulo Hospital in Araçuaí a makeshift tarp shelters a line of chairs with worried people trying to comfort children and old people experiencing breathing problems while they wait to be seen “The doctor told us that the dust from the mine caused it Everyone at home is coughing now.” Jessica is married and also has two sons The Fazenda Velha community lies 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) from Piauí Poço Dantas the village was founded 60 years ago and also sits on the banks of Piauí Creek the relationship with the creek is different: The water is used to wash dishes and clothes to bathe and is piped into homes for drinking we can see Sigma’s operations in the distance and the piles of waste rock belonging to CBL are less than 150 m (490 ft) away This mining company planned a roadway that keeps the trucks away from the community and carries out frequent analyses of the effects its operation is causing Our homes are also cracked because of the detonations,” says José Reinaldo Silva Santos a hairstylist and also president of the community association but after the new mining company [Sigma] came We are worried about our children’s future because this mineral dust accumulates in the lungs,” says Santos The situation affecting those living in Piauí Poço Dantas is not unlike that affecting other traditional communities in Jequitinhonha Valley like Indigenous communities and quilombos [settlements established by Afro-Brazilian slaves who escaped from plantations that existed in Brazil until abolition in 1888] The region is already experiencing land conflicts due to lithium mining In the Chapada do Lagoão APA Environmental Preservation Area located 30 km (18.6 mi) from Araçuaí Malhada Preta and Córrego do Narciso do Meio quilombos have begun organizing themselves against the frequent invasions of geologists prospecting lithium inside their territory The case called the attention of MAB (Movement of Dam Victims) and State Senator Beatriz Cerqueira (PT) who called the courts into action in April 2023 the Minas Gerais Public Prosecutor’s Office recommended that mineral prospecting permissions be annulled in Chapada do Lagoão because of the large number of water springs there There are no rules and there are no limits on mining in Jequitinhonha,” Cerqueira says when asked about the increased mining the way people live in the communities has been destroyed and this destruction brings sickness to the population,” she adds who made two trips to the region and called a public hearing with those affected by the mine recalls the reports she heard in the region “The local health care system is unable to provide treatment because there are so many illnesses mainly respiratory and psychiatric,” she says blaming the mining companies and a lack of action on the part of government agencies She says they are responsible for the dust clouds blocking community pathways and increased costs and violence No amount of money is enough,” she concludes the peaceful communities neighboring Atlas’ mineral deposits opinions are divided as to the startup of the mining company’s operations “Some of the people believe that the economy will improve Aside from the land that the mining companies have already bought they want the lithium that’s under our land,” 28-year-old quilombo community member Lucas Martins says walks with his head down through the old corral on his small property He tells us how he is increasingly unable to sustain his family “I used to have 80 cows and made enough cheese to sell in the stores in Belo Horizonte I could let my herd run free because there was plenty of pasture Now I only have 20 cows and they are all starving.” According to him there is no more land to rent in the region; most has been bought up by the mining companies and rent prices on any that is left have skyrocketed complains that rent has skyrocketed and violence has “overtaken Itinga … I thought I was coming to live in a peaceful place but these companies came in and made a mess of everything.” Assis moved to Itinga four years ago in search of a less hectic life He lives with his wife in a two-bedroom house and runs a sandwich shop with six employees The rent on the house was 300 reais ($52) until 2022 but jumped to 800 reais ($138) last year and the rent at his sandwich shop went up from 1,500 reais ($260) to 2,800 reais ($480) in October a district of Itinga that lies on highway BR-367 near the access roads for the Sigma and CBL mines say the mining companies have attracted many outsiders looking for jobs “These people come from other places and take away our opportunities My daughter has a degree in topography and can’t find a job,” complains Vangia Pereira Souza who owns a market and sells coffee to the workers on the side of the highway in front of the place where the buses to the mines stop with an aerial photo taken by our reporters Aug we saw that waste rock Pile 5 had advanced 550 m (1,800 ft) toward the village of Piauí Poço Dantas and the Piauí Creek the rock pile is just 60 m (200 ft) from the creek and 90 m (295 ft) from homes the homes and Nuno Murta Municipal School within an impact perimeter that classifies as “high magnitude,” according to the undertaking’s own environmental impact report geology professor at Rio de Janeiro Federal University “if the community is being affected by the dust and the noise measures must be defined for the company to take so this stops happening It may be concluded that the mining project must be changed.” In terms of the impacts on the stream Mello also questions the company’s resistance to receiving our reporters and says the attitude is noncompliant with transparency guidelines defined by the International Council on Mining and Metals and the Brazilian Mining Institute for participation of interested parties in the mine closure plan especially the directly affected communities The mine closure plan consists of the planning for complete deactivation of a mine’s structures according to a sequence of actions involving both environmental and sociocultural issues so as to assure a sustainable future after the mining company has left The process is part of the legal obligations placed on mining companies Sigma stated that the position of the waste rock piles is part of a plan for “sustainable mine closure practices … These piles must be placed alongside the hole so that the material may be deposited back to the place where it was extracted the land can return to its original appearance after the mine has been closed,” the company stated Sept “Sigma Lithium is the only integrated lithium company in the world that has developed green technologies for the industrialization of its product by dry-stacking its waste rock This waste is recycled for resurfacing rural roads after reprocessing in Sigma’s industrial lithium factory and sold,” it added The company also sent our reporters a folder describing innovation and social sustainability actions that list initiatives it has taken to benefit the local population These include prioritizing hiring of local workforce and education programs distribution of potable water and drought and hunger relief programs During the company’s presentation at the United Nations Global Compact in September 2024 in the UNO headquarters in New York investment director Daniel Abdo commented that “the original plan was to reroute Piauí Creek and create a gigantic hole,” but that the idea was thrown out in order to preserve the neighboring community’s relationship with the creek “We maintained the creek and made two holes.” BNDES director of energy transition Luciana Costa spoke with Mongabay we can analyze the social impact,” she says referring to the 500 million reais in financing given to the company “There’s no way to make the energy transition without mining What we have to make sure of is that mining practices be sustainable Another person associated with the BNDES reservedly told Mongabay over the phone that the financing could be canceled if the bank find proof that the mining company is causing serious damage to the environment or to society says his mine has “the advantage” of being underground the piles are already environmentally correct and we will close off the mine entrance,” he says In reference to the detonations and the Fazenda Velha community Alvarenga explains that the seismographic testing has not as yet detected any significant damage and that his mine is the safest in the world The difference between the two is that the waste rock is material removed before processing and the tailings are the residue after processing 80% of the material mined by CBL becomes waste rock and is stacked around the deposits the impacts caused by CBL’s mining are less than Sigma’s Aside from the fact that its mining technique doesn’t result in holes on the surface people living in Fazenda Velha village say they feel their health is being compromised [They may be] even supported by the mining industry and evolve to other kinds of work,” Alvarenga says He argues that his company provides jobs for people from traditional communities like Indigenous and Quilombolas which granted the licenses for the operation because this process of prospecting and drawing in investments is done here by the secretariat of economic development I can guarantee that they are companies with top practices and high ESG [environmental social and governance] standards,” Passalio says He says there has never been public civil action addressing the problems raised and affirms that the dust that reaches the village is no different than the dust that reaches downtown which is outside the directly affected area Passalio also observes that the mining company should respect the environmental impact study and follow the legal provisions for intervention in permanently preserved areas like waterways Federal legislation even considers mining activity to be public utility The important thing is not to impact supply.” When sought out to comment on the complaints coming from local people who was campaigning at the time for reelection did not respond to our reporters because he was busy taking care of fuel donations for the participants in his motorcade The same happened with the Republican candidate Also reelected Araçuaí Mayor Tadeu Barbosa de Oliveira (PSD) did receive our reporters in the middle of his campaign and acknowledged the inflation problem He said the city itself has experienced a 100% increase in rent prices on some of the real estate it has occupied since last year What we have to try and do is create low-income housing for those who don’t have a means to bear such a fast and enormous rent hike,” he observes more resources become available to the municipal economy But the resources coming in from the lithium mines through the CFEM [Brazilian mineral royalty] which is around 4 million reais [$690,000]or 5 million reais [$863,000] are still very small for a municipality with a 130 million reais [$22.4 million] budget,” he says Araçuaí has a population of 34,297 and ranks 3,942nd for per capita PIB or gross domestic product ( 14,163 reais or $2,400) among Brazil’s 5,570 municipalities ranks 4,945th with per capita PIB per capita of 9,849 reais ($1,700) Oliveira says that he is making efforts to improve the quality of people’s lives and to offer job training but criticizes the lack of preparedness on the part of government offices to be able to receive undertakings the size of those arriving in Jequitinhonha “I’m already dealing with health care and education problems and we haven’t received the resources yet,” he complains Atlas adviser Rodrigo Menck explains that their operation is located 5-10 km (3-6 mi) from the communities and lists a series of initiatives sponsored by the company They include professional development programs construction of homes for schoolteachers in the village of Calhauzinho and renovations for schools and churches in São José das Neves He stresses the social importance of the road the mining company built extending 35 km (22 mi) and 12 m (39 ft) wide connecting downtown Araçuaí to the mining site Pilbara Minerals released a formal statement that its agreement to purchase Latin Resources the company holding mining rights to the Salinas mine still depends on the fulfillment of a series of conditions “which is not expected to happen before the end of 2024 Pilbara Minerals has committed to finishing the studies on the potential future development of the Salinas Latin American Lithium Project The timing and approvals of any development remain subject to the results of the studies and market conditions.” Indigenous leader Marcley Pataxó met with 30 representatives of the Pankararu and Aranã peoples in Coronel Murta Marcley Pataxó is 28 years old and was invited by the Indigenous Missionary Council (CIMI) to orient other Indigenous people on how to use communication tools to report intimidation and threats “We heard reports [that day] of some cases of violence in the Aranã and Pankararu territories specifically related to mining,” Pataxó says “The concern is with the loss of the rivers because of expanding mining and the pressure the companies are placing on Indigenous communities to buy their land.” 55-year-old Indigenous resident of the village Cinta Vermelha-Jundiba aside from the damages caused by the dust and noise from detonations the behavior of wildlife is being affected in the region and that her people are feeling corralled in “What we are very concerned about now is the number of multinational companies coming in to mine the land around our community,” she says “We have been struggling to increase our territory; we had already managed to negotiate the purchase of a neighboring farm but then the companies came in and offered a much higher price,” she complains Indigenous teacher and missionary Geralda Chaves Soares tells how the Pankararu people came to Jequitinhonha 30 years ago to live on land purchased by CIMI at the time They had previously been living in the Guarani Indigenous Farming Colony in Carmésia (MG) where they had been placed by the military dictatorship from 1964-85 [the Pankararu] brought visibility to the Aranã people There has historically been much struggle for survival and now they are facing this problem of the mining companies,” Soares says “There is lithium in the earth below the territory that the Aranã are delineating Are we going to wait for the companies to set up activities there?” the missionary asks She clarifies that both Indigenous groups are awaiting recognition of the land where they live as an Indigenous territory According to the 1988 Federal Constitution mining on Indigenous territories can only be carried out by original peoples There is therefore a polarized debate going on in Congress about mining rights leading to increasing conflicts between Indigenous communities and outsiders interested in mineral riches Some members of Congress say the proposed development model is incompatible with Indigenous culture and would result in a series of negative environmental impacts like deforestation and polluted rivers Others argue that the use of sustainable mining technology would generate state revenues and lead to improvements for Indigenous groups released a statement saying that it is “aware of the situation” and “gathering information about the impacts of mining projects on Indigenous health especially possible respiratory problems.” “There is no such thing as sustainable mining,” Soares says “Economic interest in minerals supplying the [energy] transition will prevail over any social or environmental interest.” Banner image: Maria Nilza points to a crack that has formed in the wall of her home in Piauí Poço Dantas due to detonations at the lithium mine owned by Sigma This story was first published here in Portuguese here on Nov The “fortress conservation” model is under pressure in East Africa as protected areas become battlegrounds over history and global efforts to halt biodiversity loss Mongabay’s Special Issue goes beyond the region’s world-renowned safaris to examine how rural communities and governments are reckoning with conservation’s colonial origins and trying to forge a path forward […] Brazil (AP) — After Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro boosted welfare payments in August by 50 percent felt they could once again afford some meat keep electricity running and repair leaky roofs Even if it was an obvious election-year gambit needy Brazilians are grateful for the extra 200 reais ($38) per month — but perhaps not enough to switch their political allegiance to the far-right leader in large numbers Bolsonaro has struggled to gain support among the poor, but with less than two weeks to go before a runoff vote against former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva — the leftist front-runner — he is betting the bump in welfare will pay off In the Jequitinhonha Valley’s impoverished city of Aracuai part of the northern Minas Gerais state that has been a bellwether for presidential races it is hard to find a single voter who flipped their support to Bolsonaro because of the bigger welfare payments Before sunrise at a state-owned bank where people waited to collect their aid many said they voted for da Silva in the first round of voting on Oct Some said they knew someone who planned to switch to Bolsonaro in the runoff or were considering it “Some people are that easy when they’re in dire straits,” said 60-year-old housekeeper Luzia Martins READ MORE: Brazil polls face backlash from Bolsonaro administration after election miss In the first round of this year’s presidential election national results matched those of the state Da Silva — known throughout Brazil as Lula — got 48 percent of the vote and Bolsonaro received 43 percent The remainder was split among other candidates and will be up for grabs in the runoff Brazilian lawmakers declared a state of emergency in July waiving a constitutional cap on spending to allow about $7.6 billion in additional welfare benefits plus a subsidy for cooking gas and assistance for truck and taxi drivers The extra government aid to nearly a quarter of Brazil’s population may not sway many voters to switch sides But political scientists say the Bolsonaro campaign is hoping it might placate a sizable number so that they abstain from voting Abstention rates are already higher among poor voters then-President da Silva brought his entire Cabinet to the Jequitinhonha Valley saying he wanted his ministers to see extreme poverty up close The leftist chose the region of 1 million people to launch an anti-hunger program that was incorporated in an even bigger welfare package that lifted tens of millions out of poverty winning him and his Workers’ Party loyalty for years Brazil’s economy slipped into its deepest recession in a century the COVID-19 pandemic caused another severe downturn A recovery in 2022 has brought unemployment to its lowest level since 2015 but many people are subsisting on informal and soaring inflation has left families struggling to pay for food and other basic needs Thirty-three million Brazilians were hungry in the six months through April according to a study by several nonprofit organizations READ MORE: Hardship for Brazil’s poor may cost Bolsonaro presidential election bare-brick homes are unfinished; many are abandoned Some people who go downtown to pick up donated food and clothing can’t afford bus fare built upon da Silva’s flagship Family Aid program First-round results show it helped Bolsonaro win some votes in the Jequitinhonha Valley a political scientist at Federal University of Minas Gerais both Bolsonaro and da Silva have traveled around Minas but Bolsonaro indeed made inroads with his welfare,” said Sergio Vasconcelos a former city councilor and now spokesperson for Araçuai’s center-right mayor Political scientists say part of Bolsonaro’s better-than-expected performance in the region can be traced to the fact that some da Silva supporters who are registered in Minas moved elsewhere for better economic opportunities and so didn’t cast votes Others are just disaffected and disconnected altogether Living alone in Jequitinhonha’s countryside doesn’t watch television and spends most of his day caring for his pets he walks an hour to the local bar to sip beer under the starry sky that guy is better … But I don’t really pay attention,” Gonçalves said as he gazed into the night “This valley is as poor as when I was born.” READ MORE: Brazilians rally for democracy, seek to rein in President Jair Bolsonaro Ranulfo, the political scientist, said he doubts abstention rates and Bolsonaro’s traction with some poor voters will be enough for the far-right president to clinch victory uses her welfare to pay outstanding debts with local grocers Her family uses a wood stove to cook mostly noodles rice or beans because they can’t afford propane A Lula sticker is the sole decoration at their shack that’s surrounded by dirt and mud dust-covered children play not far from a pit latrine The larger welfare payments from the Bolsonaro government have helped the family seal their roof so that rain no longer soaks one of their two beds and to pay a two-month-old electricity bill to keep their rusty refrigerator and fan running to cope with the blazing heat but it is obvious that this handout is key for us to survive,” Batista said “Some people here feel they need to help Bolsonaro They are too young to remember the help and the handouts we had during the Lula years During a debate on Sunday both candidates said that if they are elected the higher welfare payments “We will keep that extra expenditure permanently and for life,” Bolsonaro said To which Lula responded: “We will fix this country so we can have some barbecue Bolsonaro’s few outspoken supporters in the Jequitinhonha Valley are enthusiastic about the welfare payments said her vegetable stall business has benefited since residents were given more cash “I’m not saying these people should get free money forever; they need to work But it is a temporary solution that helps us whose daughter is a pro-Bolsonaro city councilor © 1996 - 2025 NewsHour Productions LLC PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization Subscribe to Here's the Deal with Lisa Desjardins Michael Pooler in Araçuaí and Itinga selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter was once so poor it was known as “Misery Valley” local politicians and mining entrepreneurs dream of it being known by a different sobriquet: Lithium Valley The discovery of significant deposits of the silvery-white metal have turned this corner of northeastern Minas Gerais state into a hotspot on the global hunt for what is an essential ingredient of the rechargeable batteries that power phones a municipality of 34,000 where a mine operated by Toronto-listed Sigma Lithium recently opened buildings springing up are evidence of money and outsiders flooding in there’s so much movement,” says Pedro Martins Lage whose family-run hotel is doubling its number of rooms “It’s not going back to the way it was before.” The great hope in the sun-baked Jequitinhonha Valley — twice the size of Switzerland and with a population of about 1mn — is that the natural resource can transform its fortunes With a number of other companies prospecting in the area investments of R$6.8bn ($1.3bn) have been committed over the past five years Around half the world’s lithium currently comes from hard rock mining in Australia But the greatest concentration of deposits are found in Bolivia Argentina and Chile — the so-called “lithium triangle” — where it is extracted from brines in evaporation ponds Although Brazil’s known quantities are smaller Jequitinhonha Valley’s hard rock deposits give Brazil the chance to be an key supplier founding partner of consultancy iLiMarkets “There’s untapped exploration potential there,” he says Minas Gerais is “a very favourable mining jurisdiction” people only leave if they want to’ - Eliana Pereira dos Santos © Michael Pooler/FTWe were a small town with practically nothing and all of a sudden there’s all this money and mining Men from the valley often used to travel away to work but Araçuaí townspeople say lithium and the trade it has spurred — from accommodation to catering — are making that a thing of the past people only leave if they want to,” says Eliana Pereira dos Santos kneading dough in her kitchen for the pastries she makes for a living Through a microcredit scheme run for local women by Sigma Lithium she received a R$2,000 loan to replace a broken oven and says her sales have risen 70 per cent: “I see a bright future here Alongside the excitement are the tell-tale strains of a boom town with some residents pointing to a rising cost of living Others worry about public services and wonder how far any newfound wealth will spread is glad his son found work in lithium but rent rises mean his daughter cannot find her own place to live but landlords do not want to rent to locals “We’ve always been at the end of the world in our little town lithium was extracted by the Companhia Brasileira do Lítio on a small scale the company has quadrupled its annual output Some residents complain about the environmental impact © Michael Pooler/FTSigma Lithium’s Grota do Cirilo project which dispatched its first shipment of lithium concentrate almost a year ago bound for China The company was the sixth-largest primary lithium supplier globally in 2023 Standing above a deep open pit carved in terraces chief executive Ana Cabral-Gardner explains why Sigma calls its product “green” It uses no potable water or hazardous chemicals at its processing plant Nor are there tailings dams — structures for storing mining waste two of which have burst to devastating effect elsewhere in Minas Gerais over the past decade “We became an example of what Brazil can be in this 21st century new industrialisation process,” she says noting that Sigma has created 1,000 jobs and 85 per cent of the workforce are locals Most had lived outside the area and were recruited through a “homecoming” campaign in the hillside village of Piauí Poço Dantas some residents complain about the environmental impact “There’s so much noise and dust,” says one vibration and dust and that levels are “significantly below” legal limits and best practice standards It points to its renovation of a local school and sports facility as evidence of its civic engagement wider concerns are voiced about whether the region is equipped to deal with a big rise in mineral activity researcher at the Federal University of the Valleys of Jequitinhonha and Mucuri (UFVJM) says higher prices have led some families to move to the outskirts of Araçuaí She points to “the rapid deterioration of highways and increased demand on the health system” Visitors need only drive the 45km on the federal highway between Araçuaí and the neighbouring municipality of Itinga which motorists blame on trucks loaded with logs for pulp mills because we were a small town with practically nothing and all of a sudden there’s all this money and mining,” says Itinga’s mayor He is optimistic that lithium sales will in the long run help fund public services like sewerage “We’ll be able to think about financial reserves to create a regional sovereign wealth fund.” The commodity remains vulnerable to market volatility Sharp falls in lithium prices — linked to a slowdown in electric vehicle sales — have caused “disappointment” Lithium’s value is down about four-fifths from a peak of around $15,000 per tonne in late 2022 says data group Benchmark Mineral Intelligence It recently unveiled plans to make a sizeable increase in annual output capacity aims to begin production in Araçuaí by the end of 2024 “The Valley of Jequitinhonha has the potential to become one of the most efficient producers in the world” You may not be able to find the page you were after because of: You might find one of the following links useful: The Elescan™ XRF-100 Elemental Slurry Analyzer performs real-time slurry stream analysis for mining and mineral applications The Thermo Scientific™ ARL X900 XRF Spectrometer is a WDXRF analyzer with XRD capability that provides quick The Bettersizer 2600 is a wet or dry particle size analyzer from Bettersize Instruments Handheld X-ray fluorescence spectrometry is becoming increasingly important in the mining industry as it aids in maximizing productivity of processes the Business Development Manager at Plextek talks to AZoMining about navigating the future of mining Uwe König, the Global Mining Segment Manager at Malvern Panalytical talks to AZoMining about the importance of technology and sustainability in mining you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from AZoNetwork.com please log into your AZoProfile account first Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content A few things you need to know before we start Read the full Terms & Conditions (CSE: LODE) ("Lode" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has commenced a review of potential strategic acquisition opportunities in Brazil to add to the Company's existing portfolio of exploration-stage projects Management has completed an initial visit to Aracuai and is arranging for the formation of Brazilian subsidiary to ultimately facilitate operations in the country the Company has entered into a letter of intent (the "Letter of Intent" or "LOI") with Joao Francisco (the "Vendor") pursuant to which it will evaluate a series of mineral claims (collectively or the "Property") located in the Aracuai region of Minas Gerais In the event the Company is satisfied with its review of the Property the LOI contemplates that the Company would be granted an option to acquire the Property in consideration for completing a series of cash payments totaling US$100,000 and incurring at least US$1,000,000 in exploration expenditures on the Property over a twenty-four month period It is also contemplated that the Vendor will be entitled to receive additional bonus payments based on the successful exploration results on the Property Acquisition of an interest in the Property remains subject to a number of conditions including the satisfactory completion of due diligence receipt of any required regulatory approvals and the negotiation of definitive documentation No interest will be acquired in the Property until these conditions have been satisfied The Company is at arms-length from the Vendor The acquisition of an interest in the Property is not expected to constitute a fundamental change for the Company nor is it expected to result in a change of control of the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws and the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange No finders fees or commissions are payable in connection with the entering into of the Letter of Intent or the acquisition of an interest in the Property "Our recent research has demonstrated that there are excellent opportunities to acquire quality lithium projects in Minas Gerais State of Brazil The Lithium Valley region has the potential to be a world class lithium district as is demonstrated by several currently producing underground and open pit mining operations in the region Lode Metals is going to be aggressive in assessing projects in this region." The Començo Property consists of 6 separate claims totaling 7,103 hectares within the Aracuai region of northern Minas Gerais the Property is believed to be prospective for lithium The Property is located strategically within the "Lithium Valley" region and geologically within the Eastern Brazil Pegmatite Province It is located between 35 and 70 kilometres from the presently operating lithium operating mines of Sigma Lithium and Companhia Brasileira de Litio (CBL) The region has seen an increase in activity in recent years with several new lithium-bearing pegmatite discoveries Given the general lack of regional and systematic exploration of the region combined with the abundance of pegmatite occurrences in the region the Company is encouraged by the potential on the Property The Començo Property The Company will be appointing geologist Neil McCallum as a strategic advisor to facilitate the review in Brazil McCallum is a professional exploration geologist with over 18 years of experience He has served as an independent director for several public companies and launched numerous clients along successful paths to discovery and resource definition He has been involved in the identification and acquisition of high-quality lithium assets for the past 7 years McCallum identified and staked part of the Corvette Property during his role with DG Resource Management The Corvette Property is now operated by Patriot Battery Metals where the CV5 Spodumene Pegmatite is the largest lithium pegmatite deposit in the Americas based on contained lithium metal Neil McCallum states: "I am very pleased to join the team where I can add substantial value to the understanding of the Lithium Valley region for Lode Metals My specialty over the years has been to develop a multidimensional regional geological model to identify prospective corridors or trends for mineralization I can say first-hand that the region is under-developed in terms of the discovery potential versus exploration that has been completed." The Company will also be appointing Sean McGrath as Chief Financial Officer of the Company McGrath fills the vacancy created by Gavin Cooper who has resigned his role to focus on other ventures Cooper for his service over the years and wishes him all the best in his future endeavours McGrath is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA CGA) in Canada and a former Certified Public Accountant (Illinois) in the United States of America He has spent more than 20 years providing financial management and consulting services to publicly traded companies with primary emphasis in the natural resources sector He has been responsible for corporate strategy McGrath has held senior executive positions with numerous publicly traded companies throughout his career and he is currently a director/officer of several publicly traded companies listed on the TSXV and the CSE of Dahrouge Geological Consulting is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and has reviewed the technical information in this news release Lode Metals is a Canadian junior mining exploration company exploring its flagship Cracker Creek gold project in northeastern Oregon and battery metal projects in the northeastern part of Minas Gerais state of Brazil a mining-friendly jurisdiction that is quickly emerging as a world-class hard-rock lithium district Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release Certain information in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will" All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulations The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted as a result of numerous known and unknown risks many of which are beyond the control of the Company The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information Collective Mining is a gold, silver, copper and tungsten exploration company with projects in Caldas, Colombia. The Company has options to acquire 100% interests in two projects located directly within an established mining camp with ten... LEARN MORE Please enable JavaScript to view this page correctly “The governor is calling it the Lithium Valley when in fact it is the Jequitinhonha Valley It is not simply a place for exploration,” warns Cleonice Pankararu one of the leaders of the Aldeia Cinta Vermelha-Jundiba indigenous land and located on the banks of the Jequitinhonha River The project launched by the governor of Minas Gerais invited foreign mining companies to explore the mineral in the state the government has made promises of development and prosperity payment of taxes and improvement of the quality of life of the communities this is not the reality that the population of the Jequitinhonha Valley has faced since the lithium boom begin under the government of Jair Bolsonaro who opened the national market by decree in July 2022 lithium has come to occupy a prominent place in Brazil’s race to become one of the global leaders in the energy transition The growing demand and high profitability of exploration have attracted mining companies and politicians who are lobbying for more flexible environmental protection tax payments and compromise the transparency in processes Credits: Cleonice Pankararu and Uakyrê Pankararu The Mining Observatory needs readers to continue working on behalf of society to prevent the ongoing neo-extractivism from jeopardizing a just energy transition.  Make a one-time or recurring donation on PayPal. and we have felt the impacts on the economy because the cost of things in commerce has gone up a lot due to people who have come to work for the company According to the leader of Aldeia Cinta Vermelha-Jundiba it has become impossible to rent properties in the city sometimes have to pay rent to be able to study and many can’t anymore because the price has gone up confirmed the complaints made by his fellow countrywoman he walked the streets of the city to demand transparency in the resources from mining in public accounts in the middle of a “carnival” hired by the city government for the city’s anniversary party “Money is coming in strong in both municipalities That’s why the expectation of political change is very important The group that is there today has a very strong corporatism And they hang around with the CEOs of companies the volume of resources is “very violent” and most of the population doesn’t read it this way because they measure the issues “from the bottom up,” being content with the few jobs that are offered to family members since there is a high demand for manual labor and outsourced services in general which is the volume of resources that are flowing through the territory the city is being left out of this distribution of resources to the community If we need to be treated in a medical specialty we have to go to Belo Horizonte or Diamantina,” criticized Nelson The city councils of Araçuaí and Itinga did not respond to requests for comment made by the Mining Observatory “It is very hard articulate a public policy for collecting rainwater and companies manage to articulate water permits to extract a large volume from the river The one-hour permit they have is perhaps enough for the city’s consumption in one or two days so what kind of energy transition and clean energy is this?” who is one of the coordinators of Cáritas in Minas Gerais a complaint filed by the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB) alleged that Sigma’s activities could directly impact residents’ access to water “While the rural communities of the Jequitinhonha Valley have access to a 16,000-liter water tank for domestic consumption for 8 months (drought) the concession from the National Water Agency (ANA) for Sigma in the Itinga region is 3.8 million liters/day (100 million liters/month) which would be enough to supply 34,000 families,” the movement stated Cleonice Pankararu also warned about the use of river water by mining companies is directly impacted because the platform is located right next to it and the Poço Dantas community which also has indigenous and quilombola communities,” she revealed coincided with an increase in complaints from residents of the Jequitinhonha Valley about the community’s quality of life “It got worse because their way of producing is different They said they wouldn’t produce waste even though the platform is 10km to 15km away it is an area of ​​mobility for indigenous peoples without trying to find out about the communities the mining had already been installed,” she added Since its arrival in the Jequitinhonha Valley the Canadian mining company has sold the project as “green” “zero waste” and “100% prosperity” for the region The propaganda was even reinforced with a flashy label during COP 28 when Sigma presented to the world the extraction of lithium in its plant with what it calls “quintuple-zero” contradict the Canadian mining company’s narrative In addition to the waste, the concession granted by ANA to Sigma Lithium is valid for 10 years and allows the pumping of water from the Jequitinhonha River 24 hours a day. In total, Sigma can use 3 million and 600 thousand liters of water per day. IEA–USP Global Cities postdoctoral fellow Elaine Santos explained that this attempt to present itself as sustainable is nothing new “What sets Sigma apart is that it has this robust marketing so it takes and creates this package of actions within its mining company and sells these practices in a commercialized way,” explained Santos The researcher emphasized that each mine has unique characteristics and impacts on specific communities each with different ecosystems and ways of interacting in the territory “There is no consensus on these actions or whether this is acceptable or correct Sigma’s idea of ​​a mining standard also cannot be applied uniformly because mining lithium is not the same as mining iron So it is not possible to treat this as a model as they do in a very propagandistic way,” she said Elaine also recalled Law Project 2809/2023 which is being processed in the Chamber of Deputies and deals with the “voluntary certification” of green lithium The agenda has been ready to go to the plenary since December The project was authored by a number of openly right-wing parliamentarians Kim Kataguiri (União-SP) and José Medeiros (PL-MT) “This project shows the strength of this marketing strategy and legitimizes a mining model which is what Sigma is imposing with these practices,” she highlighted In addition to occurring amid new complaints from local communities in the Jequitinhonha Valley the R$487 million loan (almost US$ 100 million) from the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) for the expansion of Sigma Lithium was only possible due to significant changes made this year to the National Fund on Climate Change Each project was entitled to R$80 million and now this amount has increased drastically – to R$500 million every 12 months BNDES confirmed that two changes were made in 2024 Only two projects were able to obtain loans above the old ceiling one for R$90 million and the other for R$98 million Companies submit their applications through the customer portal – which is the means to operate a direct line with BNDES” explained the bank’s Mining and Mineral Processing Manager the objective of the program is to encourage companies to move forward with projects that have “this climate ambition” A statement sent by the Canadian mining company says that the R$487 million will be used to build the second plant in the Jequitinhonha Valley expanding the lithium production capacity from 270 thousand tons per year to 520 thousand tons/year The financing will have an amortization rate of 192 months (16 years) with a grace period of 18 months and an interest rate of 7.45% per year no asset was required as collateral and the development loan will be secured by a letter of credit issued by a financial institution registered with BNDES The requests made to BNDES by the Mining Observatory regarding the contract received the same response “The financing with Sigma Lithium is still awaiting contracting so BNDES is prevented from disclosing the requested documents as they are protected by corporate secrecy – based on article 22 of Law 12,527/2011 the program also now allows the possibility of financing up to 100% of projects in the following six categories: resilient and sustainable urban development; transportation logistics public transportation and green mobility; energy transition; native forests and hybrid resources; green services and innovations; and green industry The latter is the category in which Sigma was classified The mining companies Sigma and CBL did not respond to questions posed by the Mining Observatory The easing measures signed by Bolsonaro and Zema have led to a drastic increase in lithium exploration and mineral research in the Jequitinhonha Valley Region had operated a mine and a chemical plant since 1991 While some mining companies are in the early stages of their projects Canadian Sigma Lithium began exploration in April of last year with the goal of becoming one of the five largest lithium producers in the world North American Atlas Lithium and Australian Latin Resources are in the implementation phase Latin was purchased by Pilbara Minerals for US$370 million with the announcement of the acquisition of 100% of the company made during Exposibram 2024 The project will be carried out in the municipality of Salinas another of the 14 that make up the now-called “Lithium Valley” and has a planned investment of US$ 313 million “This is a fundamental milestone in our strategy of diversification and global expansion with its potential to become one of the largest hard rock lithium operations in the world will be vital to consolidating our leadership position in the battery markets of North America and Europe We are excited to bring our technical expertise to Brazil and contribute to the sustainable development of the region” The growth of the sector is seen with enthusiasm by Henrique Tavares Metallurgy and Steel area of ​​Invest Minas a promotion agency created by the state government with the objective of attracting and developing investments others in the environmental licensing phase We expect that at least one more will start operating between 2024 and 2025 and a second one will start operating in the course of 2025 It is a very promising scenario that will put Minas Gerais at a considerable level of production,” he projected The Pure Dynamite report, produced by the Mining Observatory in partnership with Smoke Signal showed that until Bolsonaro’s decree lithium exploration and commercialization in Brazil was focused on supplying the domestic market which mainly supplied the medical-hospital sector and the chemical industry O Observatório da Mineração precisa do apoio dos nossos leitores com o objetivo de seguir atuando para que o neoextrativismo em curso não comprometa uma transição energética justa É possível apoiar de duas formas. No PayPal, faça uma assinatura recorrente: você contribui todo mês com um valor definido no seu cartão de crédito ou débito. É a melhor forma de apoiar o Observatório da Mineração Aceitamos ainda uma contribuição no valor que desejar via PIX para o email: apoie@observatoriodamineracao.com.br (conta da Associação Reverbera) O Observatório da Mineração é um centro de jornalismo investigativo e think tank focado no setor extrativo criado em 2015 Especializado em cobrir a participação da mineração na crise climática e o avanço dos minerais estratégicos atua para assegurar uma transição energética efetivamente justa que garanta salvaguardas socioambientais e respeite os direitos humanos Mining Observatory is an investigative journalism center and think tank focused on the extractive sector created in 2015 Specialized in covering mining’s role in the climate crisis and the advance of strategic minerals it works to ensure an effectively just energy transition that guarantees socio-environmental safeguards and respects human rights O Observatório da Mineração é um centro de jornalismo investigativo e think tank focado no setor extrativo criado em 2015 Precisamos do apoio dos nossos leitores com o objetivo de seguir atuando para que o neoextrativismo em curso não comprometa uma transição energética justa.  É possível apoiar de duas formas. No PayPal, faça uma assinatura recorrente: você contribui todo mês com um valor definido no seu cartão de crédito ou débito. É a melhor forma de apoiar o Observatório da Mineração Aceitamos ainda uma contribuição no valor que desejar via PIX para o email: apoie@observatoriodamineracao.com.br (conta da Associação Reverbera) Assine o Observatório da Mineração e receba notificações de novas matérias por e-mail Observatório da Mineração - Todos os direitos reservados A reprodução de matérias deste site só pode ocorrer com autorização expressa do autor Adelong Gold (ASX:ADG) has secured a third exploration permit for its Santa Rita Do Araçuaí Project in Minas Gerais The company plans to begin an initial exploration program early next month aiming to provide a ‘good’ opportunity to finalise a more detailed exploration program Adelong is also assessing other areas of interest in Brazil to facilitate a broader footprint and expanded exploration works program The current exploration program includes a 2-week geological reconnaissance program designed to conduct several traverses across the licence area aimed to uncover areas of geological interest and provide initial reconnaissance samples.  A senior geologist and field hand experienced in lithium pegmatites exploration has been appointed to undertake this work This news follows on from Adelong announcing in October the acquisition of 3 licences which make up the Santa Rita Do Araçuaí Project The acquisition was subject to several conditions including shareholder approval sought to be held at the AGM on 27 November and registering a Brazilian subsidiary to hold the licence Adelong Gold is a gold-focused explorer that wholly owns the Adelong Gold Mine in New South Wales as well as a ‘highly prospective’ lithium tenement package in Minas Gerais Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au        Unico Silver makes ‘multiple new discoveries’ at Cerro Leon Unico Silver (ASX:USL) says the final results from phase-two diamond drilling at.. 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