DOE/EA-2265: Kings Mountain Lithium Mine Project; City of Kings Mountain, NC

Summary

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) proposes to provide cost-shared funding to Albemarle US, Inc. (Albemarle) for its planned King Mountain Lithium Materials Processing Plant in Kings Mountain, Cleveland County, North Carolina. DOE prepared a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of DOE’s providing financial assistance to Albemarle under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, more commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The objective for Albemarle’s King Mountain Lithium Materials Processing Plant is to demonstrate the ability to domestically produce lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode active material for use in safe, long-life, high capacity, and commercial LFP batteries. The new plant would fill a critical role in the high-capacity battery supply chain required for electric vehicle production and is expected to be the first large-scale LFP material manufacturing plant in the United States. The new plant would be constructed on an area of mixed heavy industrial commercial use in the town of Kings Mountain, NC.

Public Comment Opportunities

A Notice of Availability will be published in the Gastonia Gaston Gazette on January 17, 2025, to announce the beginning of a 30-day public review and comment period.  As stated in the notice, comments should be marked “Albemarle Draft EA Comments” and sent to: 

            Mr. Harry Taylor

            U.S. Department of Energy

            National Energy Technology Laboratory

           3610 Collins Ferry Road

            Morgantown, WV  26505 

            Email: [email protected]  

            Telephone: 304.285.5091

Individual names and addresses, including email addresses, received as part of the comment documents normally are considered part of the public record.  Persons wishing to withhold names, addresses, or other identifying information from the public record must state this request prominently at the beginning of their comments.  DOE will honor this request to the extent allowed by law.  All submissions from organizations, businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses will be included in the public record and open to public inspection in their entirety. The public comment period ends on February 16, 2025.