MORNING SENTINEL • December 9, 2022
Newry is home to the largest lithium deposit in the United States. Lithium is currently the most valuable hard metal on earth and it’s critical to the green energy transition now underway. The primary use is lithium batteries, which are used to store green energy and power electric cars. But despite our huge need, the U.S. only produces about 1% of the global market. Mining could provide Maine with billions of dollars in economic benefits. While lithium can help the transition to green energy, the process of mining it can be very toxic. In 2017 Maine passed a ban on open pit mining that environmentalists called the “toughest anti-mining law in the country.” The owners of the land can’t proceed to mine without a change in the law. Lawmakers need to find the middle ground of regulation, yet the debate doesn’t seem to be happening on the state or federal level. The conversation needs to start so Maine residents can decide on their future before someone else does it for them. ~ Tommy Lowell, Colby College freshman Waterville