US judge unlikely to rule until next week as Arizona tribe fights to extend ban on lithium drilling

PHOENIX (AP) — Members of an Arizona tribe urged a federal judge Tuesday to extend a temporary ban on exploratory drilling for a lithium project near lands they have used for religious and cultural ceremonies for centuries.

An executive for the Australian mining company that is trying to determine whether there is enough lithium to justify a commercial operation to help expedite production of renewable energy resources testified that every day of delay is costing it money.

The judge indicated she wouldn’t decide for more than a week whether to grant the tribe’s request or lift a temporary restraining order she issued last month.

The Hualapai Tribe says the energy exploration will harm lands it has used for ceremonies for centuries about halfway between Phoenix and Las Vegas.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said Tuesday her office shares the tribe’s concerns that federal land managers who approved the project didn’t adequately consider how the groundwater could be affected.

The case is among the latest legal fights pitting Native American tribes and environmentalists against President Joe Biden’s administration as green energy projects encroach on lands that are culturally significant.

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