‘It's not a smash-and-grab': Tiny town of Dyer, Nevada, debates lithium mine's impact

DYER, Nevada (KLAS) — It's the biggest town in Nevada's poorest, least-populated county. But things could start to change soon in the farming community of Dyer in Fish Lake Valley.
Australian mining company Ioneer is nearing construction on its Rhyolite Ridge lithium project, expected to bring 500 construction jobs and 300-350 permanent jobs later when operations begin, estimated in 2028.
An agreement between Esmeralda County and Ioneer will jump-start that process, with the company funding positions for three sheriff's deputies, six emergency services staffers and a grant writer. It will pay for a new fire truck, an ambulance and other vehicles. It also provides for a $900,000 emergency services building, as well as equipment for the emergency crew. In total, it will bring $5-$7 million in benefits before the mine goes into operation.
'We're not talking about state tax abatement,' Mark Hartman told 8 News Now in an interview in early May. He has lived in the valley since 1972 and now he's growing wine grapes .
'We're talking about real improvements for the poorest county in Nevada. There are 700 people that live here. You know, 300-plus live in Fish Lake Valley. The county seat has less. Silver Peak has even fewer,' Hartman said.
Rhyolite Ridge lithium deposit not like the others: Tour shows Nevada mine site
A study commissioned by Ioneer estimates when the mine is producing, it will generate around $8.5 million a year in taxes for the county, more than doubling the current county budget that's around $6 million. During a tour for 8 News Now last month, Ioneer's managing director, Bernard Rowe, said the mine could operate for 100 years depending on how it's operated. In the past week, updated financials from Ioneer show that's possible, and the lithium-boron deposit is richer than previously revealed.
Residents know Ioneer officials because the company has been holding community meetings for six or seven years, Rowe said.
'Over time, he has been here. He has been listening to us,' Hartman said about Rowe.
'It's not a smash-and-grab,' Hartman said.
'What he's found is a multigenerational deposit. So this is two, three times … this becomes Michigan building cars back in the day, you know, when Ford first talked about the assembly line,' Hartman said.
Some residents are more skeptical. They're not happy about anything that adds traffic on the roads. Others fear that Ioneer will sell out to a partner. And water is on everybody's minds.
Matt Johnson, a Fish Lake Valley farmer who runs Johnson's Feed and Farm Supply with his wife, grows alfalfa and orchard grass, and he runs some cattle on his property.
'It feels like salesmanship,' he said.
'We're already in a designated basin where we have a declining water table every year,' Johnson said. He said there are concerns that taking water for the mine could be detrimental to groundwater levels. Johnson serves as vice-chairman of the Esmeralda Conservation District, an agency that deals with wells and water management.
Ioneer came into the picture long after groundwater dropped in the valley, but Rowe understands the concern. When the U.S. Bureau of Land Management asked Ioneer if it would consider doing a groundwater study as part of the approval process for the mine, the company agreed. Rowe called it a massive undertaking.
The study found the water table has dropped several hundred feet over the past 50 to 60 years, Rowe said. The analysis found that the southern end of the valley is actually a separate water table, and that water moves from the south to the north.
He said the study showed the water table at the northern end of the valley had only dropped 5 feet at a site where one measurement was taken, the turnoff to the mine site just north of Dyer.
'We could pump any amount of water at Rhyolite Ridge, and it wouldn't affect the valley,' Rowe said.
Ioneer isn't taking any risks, and has purchased water rights in the valley that it will leverage against water use at the mine.
'Flagrant violation': Lawsuit disputes US approval of Rhyolite Ridge lithium mine in Nevada
A 'pivot' is a well that is at the center of an irrigated circle that you might see in aerial views of rural Nevada farms. Ioneer has produced the water rights for six existing pivots in Fish Lake Valley. Agriculture is continuing at those sites until Ioneer determines it needs additional water, an Ioneer spokesperson said.
'Instead of irrigating six pivots down here, we will take that water, we will turn off those six pivots, and we'll take that water and use it up at the mine,' Rowe said. That would be a gradual process — not just an abrupt shutoff that could cause dust problems, he said.
US agency review says Nevada lithium mine can co-exist with endangered flower
Johnson acknowledged that Ioneer had every right to pump groundwater after purchasing water rights. 'It has a legal path forward,' he said.
'We had very lengthy discussions about water,' Ralph Keys, a former Esmeralda County commissioner, said. 'The county will always have the right to protest any change in water use in the basin and the county as a whole.' He noted that the water rights in the basin are fully allocated.
'The basin is closed and there are no additional water rights available,' he said.
Keys helped craft the Ioneer-Esmeralda County agreement before he left the commission after three terms in 2024.
'The county depends on the agricultural industry for a large consistent tax base. Farming has been a stable industry in Esmeralda County for over 100 years. I cannot say that about mining,' Keys said. He's from a family that has been farming in Fish Lake Valley since the early 1970s.
'Hopefully, the Ioneer project will be around for 50-plus years. The boom-and-bust cycle of mining in Nevada is evident. Look at all of the old ghost towns around Nevada,' Keys said.
Goldfield, the biggest city in Nevada from 1903 to 1910 (pop. 20,000) during a gold mining boom, is evidence of his concern. The Esmeralda County seat is now home to about 200 people.
'As a commissioner when Ioneer came to town I saw the need to stress the fact that we did not have the necessary EMS to support such a large mining operation,' he said. 'Public safety became the number one concern of mine.'
In Dyer, the nearest hospital is 90 miles away in Bishop, California. Keys put a priority on parts of the agreement that dealt with safety.
Keys and Ioneer's Chad Yeftich, vice president for corporate development and external affairs, both emphasized the importance of benefits included in the gap between now and when the mine becomes profitable.
Without the agreement, Esmeralda County doesn't have the resources to provide emergency services and additional law enforcement needed as the population grows and activity picks up. Training will be needed before shipments of lithium and boric acid go on area roads.
Ioneer is also footing the bill for improvements to the county road that leads to Rhyolite Ridge.
Another element of the agreement surrounds the possibility that the county could find grants to help cover the costs of additional expenses related to growth and the costs associated with the mine. Ioneer is funding the cost of a grant writer. If grant money is secured, half the money would go directly to the county for needs associated with drilling deeper wells or rehabilitation of wells.
Johnson said he's concerned that the agreement is completely voluntary and includes language that Ioneer can use to get out from under it. He has lived in the valley on-and-off since 1976, and views the situation as favoritism.
'I'm not 'anti-the-project' enough to go to all their meetings,' Johnson said.
Concerns about water go beyond farming.
In May, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed protections for the Fish Lake Valley tui chub, a small fish that lives in a spring on a private ranch in the northern end of the valley. If the tui chub is protected under the Endangered Species Act, it could complicate an already complex water picture.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Yahoo

a day ago

• Yahoo

Hong Kong Airlines Celebrates Inaugural Flight to Sydney

Offering Travellers More Direct Flight Options to Australia HONG KONG, June 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hong Kong Airlines' inaugural flight between Hong Kong and Sydney, Australia, departed yesterday, making it the second local airline to operate this route and providing greater travel options for business, leisure, and transit passengers. To mark this new milestone in its network expansion, Hong Kong Airlines held celebratory events at both Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) and Sydney Airport (SYD). Prior to departure, a launch ceremony was held at the boarding gate of the HKIA. The event was attended by distinguished guests, including Mr Jeff Sun, President of Hong Kong Airlines; Mr Ian McGraw from the Australian Consulate-General in Hong Kong; Ms Carmen Tam and Ms Vivien Yuen from Tourism Australia; Ms Jennifer Tung from Destination New South Wales; and Mr Ricky Chong from Airport Authority Hong Kong. The guests interacted with passengers and presented them with bespoke souvenirs to commemorate the historic occasion. During the event, Hong Kong Airlines President Mr Jeff Sun stated: "As a full-service local carrier, the launch of our Sydney service marks a significant step in our transformation to an international airline. Sydney is not only a popular destination for leisure and business travel but also one of Australia's most vital economic hubs. The expansion of the bilateral traffic rights agreement allows us to offer more choice to travellers in both cities, strengthening the connection between them." He added, "While Hong Kong Airlines may be a younger brand in the mature Australian market, we are endeavouring in our commitment to providing quality service. We operate this route with our Airbus A330 aircraft, featuring comfortable business and economy class cabins, and strive to deliver a passenger-centric in-flight experience through attentive service and fine dining for our long-haul customers." Sydney Airport CEO Mr Scott Charlton said: "We're proud to welcome Hong Kong Airlines to Sydney as our 52nd airline partner with its strong reputation for service excellence, efficiency and value. This inaugural service comes on the back of the first expansion in bilateral air traffic rights between Australia and Hong Kong in 19 years and we thank the Albanese Federal Government for its role in enabling this important agreement, which reflects the strength of our longstanding cultural and economic ties." NSW Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper, said: "Hong Kong is a priority international market for NSW, with incoming travellers contributing substantially to the NSW visitor economy. The Minns Labor Government has made it very clear; we want to grow our visitor economy and the best way to do this is by increasing airline capacity and unlocking new international markets for NSW. We've set our sights on increasing the state's aviation capacity by 8.5 million seats, and this new Hong Kong route will complement other new routes we're securing as we work towards landing this goal." Mr Wang Yu, Consul General of People's Republic of China (Sydney), said: "As the second Hong Kong-based airline to operate the Hong Kong–Sydney route, Hong Kong Airlines not only provides a convenient new option for traveling between China and Australia, but also contributes to enhanced exchanges among students, tourists, business professionals and friends from all walks of life. This new service will strengthen Hong Kong and Sydney's role as vital gateways for the flow of people and goods, injecting fresh momentum into the economic and cultural ties between China and Australia. Its launch will also attract more international travelers to transit through Hong Kong or Sydney, further strengthening both cities' positions as global aviation hubs and creating new opportunities for trade and investment. Looking ahead, the Consulate-General of China in Sydney will continue to encourage and support airlines from both China and Australia in restoring or launching new routes based on the principle of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. We believe that Hong Kong Airlines will continuously enhance its service quality and showcase a good corporate image." Also in attendance at the Sydney welcome ceremony were representatives from the Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Sydney, Destination NSW and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Sydney). Exclusive Lounge Access for Connecting Passengers To celebrate the launch of the new service, passengers travelling on this route and transit at Hong Kong for selected Hong Kong Airlines flights* to Vancouver, Bali, Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Shanghai (Pudong), Haikou, or Sanya, between 20 June and 31 October 2025, will receive complimentary access to the airline's flagship lounge "Club Autus" at Hong Kong International Airport. *Please click here for the relevant terms and conditions. Expanding Route Network The launch of the Sydney service indicates Hong Kong Airlines' overarching strategy for its network expansion. Coupled with the various significant destinations that have been inaugurated or reinstated since the start of the year, including Gold Coast in Australia, Vancouver in Canada, and Hulunbuir in Inner Mongolia of mainland China, the airline has cultivated a more extensive and diversified route map. This further underscores Hong Kong Airlines' commitment and contribution to the aviation industry's recovery and long-term development. In addition to the new routes, the Company also increased the frequency of services on multiple routes to cater to the summer travel demand. This includes the resumption of seasonal flights to the Maldives and an increase in flights to Da Nang to two per day. Additionally, flights to Shanghai Pudong will be increased to four per day, while services to Hangzhou and Nanjing will become twice day. The variety of flight times available throughout the day provides business, leisure, and transit passengers with the flexibility to plan their itineraries. The Company will launch another new service in July, providing passengers with more travel options. Hong Kong Airlines flight schedule* between Hong Kong and Sydney is as follows (All times local): Route Flight Number Departure Arrival Frequency HKG – SYD HX017 22:25 09:50+1 Daily SYD – HKG HX018 11:30 19:10 * Flight number and schedule may change without prior notice Please download high-resolution photos through this link. About Hong Kong Airlines Established in 2006, Hong Kong Airlines is a full-service airline firmly rooted in Hong Kong. The airline flies to over 30 destinations across the Asia Pacific and North America, and currently maintains interline and codeshares with multiple airline partners and ferry service providers. Hong Kong Airlines operates an all-Airbus fleet. It has been awarded the internationally acclaimed four-star rating from Skytrax since 2011. For more information, please visit or our social media channels on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Hong Kong Airlines Inicia sesión para acceder a tu portafolio

Business Insider

a day ago

• Business Insider

'Roadblock': Paramount Stock (NASDAQ:PARA) Surges as the Trump Settlement Sputters

As it turns out, entertainment giant Paramount (PARA) was actually fairly close to a deal with President Trump over the 60 Minutes lawsuit. But, when the deal was fairly close, a 'roadblock' emerged and put a halt to the whole matter, at least for now. Investors reacted with surprising strength, and perhaps even more surprising positivity. Paramount shares gained nearly 2.5% in the closing minutes of Friday's trading. Confident Investing Starts Here: The settlement had reached $35 million, reports noted, when Paramount suddenly found itself paralyzed by indecision. That delay caused Trump lawyers to pivot and pull back to their original demand, calling for a $50 million settlement. The biggest problem seems to be that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is also involved in this, and needs to sign off on the merger with Skydance as well. Reports suggested that Paramount brass believes that the FCC's sign-off on the deal needs to be contingent on settling the case, but by like token, the idea that requiring FCC approval as part of the settlement looks a lot like a bribe. Trump's legal team, reports note, has already been clear that the Trump suit and the FCC case are two separate matters. But with outside organizations looking to launch their own lawsuits should the settlement go through, looks may count for more here than anyone expected. South Park Losses Mount Meanwhile, as Paramount faces the prospect of losing South Park exclusivity, it quietly pulled another old episode from the field. The pull this time showed up in the Canadian and Australian markets, reports noted, and this time, featured Butters' Very Own Episode pulled from Paramount+. Why, however, is a bit of a mystery. Several South Park episodes are apparently a bit too spicy for streaming, in retrospect, with around a dozen classic episodes set to be pulled from the catalog and relegated to a 'ban list', reports noted. The reports got stranger as an Australian viewer noted that the Paramount+ listing had been pulled, but the episode could still be watched by watching through Paramount+ on Amazon (AMZN) Prime Video. Is Paramount Stock a Good Buy Right Now? Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Hold consensus rating on PARA stock based on two Buys, eight Holds and five Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 18.62% rally in its share price over the past year, the average PARA price target of $12.08 per share implies 2.23% downside risk.

Yahoo

2 days ago

• Yahoo

Trump to Miss Albanese Meeting at G-7

A planned meeting between President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the G-7 summit in Canada has been scrapped, following Trump's abrupt exit due to the escalating crisis in the Middle East. The American Chamber of Commerce in Australia says there are still positive signs for the relationship between the two countries, and sees a chance for the two leaders to meet at the next Quad gathering in India. AmCham Australia CEO April Palmerlee shares her outlook on Australia-US relations on "Bloomberg: The Asia Trade." Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data