OREGON
A10 — THE OBSERVER
THuRSday, dEcEmBER 23, 2021
Test drilling OK’d for Oregon’s first proposed lithium mine
By JORDAN RANE
Columbia Insight
McDERMITT, Nevada
— A lithium-mining boom
could be in the works in
Southeastern Oregon. That’s
according to an Australian
mineral exploration com-
pany targeting a site in Mal-
heur County for the coveted
battery metal that fuels cell-
phones, laptops and electric
vehicles.
Perth-based Jindalee
Resources Ltd. announced
this month it will test drill
for lithium deposits on
the edge of a volcanic cal-
dera near the community of
McDermitt (pop. 126 or so),
which occupies both sides of
the Oregon-Nevada border.
The area is known to be
naturally rich in sediments
of the soft, silver-white
element.
Lithium — the world’s
lightest pure metal, No. 3
on the periodic table — is
famous for being able to
float on water and stabilize
human moods. But even
more so these days as a vital
global commodity for pow-
ering electronic devices,
renewable energy storage
and recent federal mandates
to increase domestic produc-
tion of it and reduce foreign
dependence.
Approval for Jindalee’s
McDermitt Lithium Project
test drilling — 39 planned
holes in all — was granted
by the Oregon Department
of Geology and Mineral
Industries.
According to an Oregon
Public Broadcasting report,
this is the first known appli-
cation received by the
Mineral Land Regulation
and Reclamation office to
explore for lithium in the
state.
Just how much lithium
could be hiding beneath this
largely unpopulated part of
the country?
Over 10 million tons,
notes a Jindalee press
release after a preliminary
scoping study. This would
make it one of the largest
lithium deposits in the
United States, according the
company.
“An absolute monster”
is how Jindalee executive
director Lindsay Dudfield
described the area (as it per-
tains to untapped lithium)
on the financial media net-
work Proactive.
Global market surging
Currently, a single
lithium mine operates in the
United States (in Nevada).
It produces just over 1% of
the world’s lithium supply,
according to Forbes.
Australia, the world’s top
lithium supplier, produces
nearly 53%, followed (dis-
tantly) by Chile, China (by
far the world’s top lithium
consumer) and Argentina.
But this needle could
shift over the next five years
with global lithium pro-
duction expected to almost
triple due especially to a
surging electric-vehicle
market.
U.S. production is
expected to grow following
an executive order issued
by the Biden administra-
tion for an in-depth analysis
geared toward strengthening
the domestic lithium supply
— including mining raw
materials for lithium-battery
production.
“With the global lithi-
um-battery market expected
to grow by a factor of five
to 10 by 2030, it is impera-
tive that the United States
invests immediately in
scaling up a secure, diver-
sified supply chain for
high-capacity batteries here
at home,” stated a Depart-
ment of Energy report in
Febraury, following Biden’s
“100-Day Battery Supply
Chain Review.”
Brown extends state Online meltdown leads to resignation
of emergency due to League of Oregon
Cities’ leader
the omicron variant resigns, days after
Declaration in effect
until the end of June
The Oregonian
SALEM — Gov. Kate
Brown on Tuesday, Dec.
21, extended Oregon’s dec-
laration of a state of emer-
gency until June 2022,
citing the emergence of
the omicron variant to the
coronavirus.
“As Oregon prepares for
what could be our worst
surge in hospitalizations
during this pandemic, I
know that this is not the
beginning of the new year
any of us had hoped for,”
Brown said. “Time and
again over the last two
years, Oregonians have
proven that we will stand
with each other in our
most difficult times. Your
actions have saved lives,
and it is because we have
worked together to keep
each other safe that Oregon
still has some of the lowest
infection and mortality
rates in the nation. Please,
do your part again —
get vaccinated, get your
booster shot, and wear a
mask.”
Extending the state of
emergency declaration
maintains Oregon’s ability
to access federal relief
funds, such as enhanced
SNAP benefits, Brown’s
announcement said.
The governor noted
she had moved away from
managing the COVID-19
pandemic mainly through
executive orders and man-
dates toward more stan-
dard regulatory tools as
it became clear the pan-
demic needed long-term
management, such as using
existing state powers to
implement masking and
vaccination rules.
The state of emergency
declaration does pro-
vide her with flexibility
around activating medical
and other resources, she
said. The order remains in
effect until June 30 unless
rescinded or modified.
flaming Beaverton
mayor on Twitter
By ROB DAVIS
The Oregonian
PORTLAND — The
League of Oregon Cities’
executive director sub-
mitted his resignation
Monday, Dec. 20, days after
posting inflammatory com-
ments on Twitter, sending
profane messages to Bea-
verton’s mayor and subse-
quently deleting his Twitter
account.
Mike Cully, who has
led the league since 2017,
will immediately be put on
paid administrative leave,
where he will remain until
March 20. The league rep-
resents Oregon’s 241 cities
at the Legislature. He pre-
viously worked as an eco-
nomic development official
in the San Diego area and
as a manager at car-sharing
company car2go.
“Mike Cully can no
longer lead the organiza-
tion,” Sherwood Mayor
Beaverton Mayor Lacey
Keith Mays, the league’s
Beaty condemned Cully’s
president, said at a hastily
remarks, tweeting, “If you
called Dec. 20 meeting.
don’t want to tip during a
Mays said Cully’s social
media outburst “in no way
global pandemic you should
reflects the mission, vision
make your food at home.”
or values” of the league.
Then Cully sent five
The league’s
direct messages to
board unanimously
Beaty, Beaverton’s
accepted the terms
first female mayor,
of Cully’s resigna-
according to a com-
tion letter, giving him
plaint Beaty filed
until Dec. 23 to agree
Dec. 18 with the
to waive any claims
league.
Beaty
against the league
At 6:36 p.m.: “Hey
or face termination.
Lacey — instead of
Cully requested to
putting me on [exple-
tive] BLAST you
be paid the unspec-
ified balance of his
bully. Talk to me.”
accrued vacation
“You have NO
time and executive
SOUL,” he added.
leave as well as an
At 6:58 p.m.:
Cully
unspecified lump
“Talk to ME. A white
sum to cover the costs of
male who has NO agenda
continuing health insur-
with YOU.”
ance coverage until the end
At 7:31 p.m.: “I [exple-
of June “to ensure the med- tive] HATE weak people
ical needs of my family are
Lacey.”
met.”
At 9 p.m.: “You are
The issue erupted pub-
WEAK”
licly Dec. 17, when Cully
In her complaint, Beaty
tweeted that he doesn’t tip
questioned Cully’s refusal
for fast food.
to apologize and called his
“That’s what your pay-
behavior inexcusable.
check is for,” Cully wrote at
“Can we make progress
5:41 p.m. Dec. 17 in a sub-
on improving the gender
sequently deleted tweet.
diversity in local govern-
ment leadership in Oregon
“Dissatisfied? Get an edu-
cation and a better job.”
when men who hold posi-
tions of power speak to
female leaders this way?”
she asked.
Cully publicly apol-
ogized Dec. 19 for his
remarks, the day after
Beaty’s complaint was filed.
“I am not above recog-
nizing and acknowledging
when I am wrong. Nor do I
feel exempt from issuing an
apology for posting insen-
sitive and disrespectful
remarks. I own that I did
this to” Beaty, he wrote,
inadvertently tagging
another person with a name
similar to the mayor’s.
“In the strongest way
possible,” he wrote, “I apol-
ogize to the Mayor.”
Cully did not respond to
requests for comment. He
deleted his Twitter account
moments after The Orego-
nian/OregonLive’s initial
request for comment was
sent.
He didn’t address the
controversy in his resig-
nation letter, saying: “It
has been both an honor
and privilege to work with
you and service the great
leaders and cities here in
Oregon since 2017. I wish
you all continued success
as you continue your stan-
dards of excellence.”
WHERE WILL
MOMENTUM TAKE YOU?
HOME EQUITY LINE OF CREDIT
Don’t keep those home renovations or that
dream vacation waiting!
hzcu.org/momentum
*OAC. Introductory rate valid for 6 months from the date the loan is booked. After the first 6
months a variable rate will apply, based on the Wall Street Journal prime rate plus a margin and
adjusted quarterly; current rates range from 3.75% - 18.00% APR as of 12/2/21, based on credit
worthiness. Maximum APR = 18%. Borrowers may opt for interest-only payments during the initial
draw period (10 years). Monthly payments are typically lower with the interest-only payment
option; however your principal balance will remain the same until you made additional payments
to the principal. After the draw period, the monthly payment will be calculated to repay your loan
within the remaining 15 years and may adjust quarterly based on the prime rate.
NMLS 407890
With low introductory rates and our NEW
interest-only payment option, our Momentum
HELOC allows you to take advantage of your
home’s equity with low, manageable payments.