I get to work with those. It is a blast. Plus done with care it’s not an environmental issue.
Discussion
Really not bad for the environment. Only a bit of that material is what they are looking for. That hole is 95% material that wasn't the minerals they were after. It was all treated with toxins and acids. WHERE DID IT ALL GO? WHAT IS IT DOING NOW? What do we do with all the liquid?
How can you possibly deal with this waste and do so with "care"? Where do you put it?
Seriously
1st enjoyed the last two rewinds.
2nd “it depends”
Outside of the USA it is a clusterfuck can’t speak for them.
Old mines in the US had little or no provisions for remediation. I imagine growing up where you did I need say no more.
3rd
To be transparent I work at metal mines that have their own environmental concerns do not have the ins and outs for lithium and it’s byproducts.
Metal mines do produce water that is unable to be released to the environment and must be stored. This water is cleaned prior to storage and must meet standards when going into storage. (I would say that it is better than tap water from Flint MI (low bar but legal doesn’t mean right) most metal mines monitor and test this water regularly because last thing they want are animal fatalities.
4th I consider myself an outdoorsman love backpacking and kayaking. During those trips I see lots of man made changes to nature some good and some awful. A campfire ring at a designated area that is well made is great. It must be maintained and kept cleaned but in its place is a good thing and can even be a joy. When off trail I usually make a camp fire and for a time mark the wilderness with my presence. When done I can fix and cover this fire ring but nature knows that it was there. Proper remediation of a mine includes this fixing and covering. If done properly it’s like a tire in a pond it will biologically isolate.
Anyhow I never feel like I respond well. Your still a jerk and look forward to listening again tomorrow.