MAINE MONITOR • January 8, 2023
A couple hoping to excavate what may be the world’s richest lithium deposit on their property in Newry has taken their case to Superior Court in an effort to clarify what is considered a metal under Maine’s 2017 mining law, one of the strictest in the nation. Lithium is a highly sought mineral used in batteries, cell phones, stove tops and other goods. The lode, which could be worth as much as $1.5 billion, generated international headlines when it was discovered in 2021. But because of the state’s strict mining regulations, Mary and Gary Freeman have been unable to excavate the rocks that contain the lithium. The Freemans, who operate under the LLC Freeman Resources, hope to reverse a decision by the Maine DEP classifying the lithium-bearing crystal, spodumene, as a metallic mineral. The Freemans argue that spodumene is a rock, not a metal, and should fall under the state’s quarrying regulations.