Regulators approve mining law changes

MAINE PUBLIC • May 16, 2024

State regulators unanimously approved final changes to Maine’s mining law on Thursday morning that will pave the way for a small-scale spodumene mining operation in the western Maine town of Newry. Spodumene is a mineral that contains lithium, a highly sought-after metal used in everything from batteries to touch screens. The new rule will exempt the extraction of certain metallic minerals from the state’s stringent mining regulations as long as a mining operation can prove that getting them out won’t pollute the nearby land or water.