MAINE MONITOR • June 18, 2023
Maine looks set to amend its mining laws to exempt some metals from the state’s strict metallic mining regulations, provided developers can prove they won’t pollute nearby watersheds or cause other environmental harms in the process. It will be at least a year, likely longer, before the changes take effect, and there will be ample opportunity for public input before that happens. The changes to the mining act were prompted by news of the discovery of a world-class deposit of spodumene, a crystal that contains the metal lithium, highly sought-after for batteries, touch screens and other devices. The mineral was found deep in the woods of the western Maine.