Nevada is at the heart of the lithium boom in the U.S. following the government’s calls to secure national extraction capacities of this essential component -Lithium- for the green energy transition and the healthcare industry. Yet, these expanded mining capacities collide with the very aspirational goals that lithium-powered batteries and mood enhancers seek to deliver: improved environmental and human health. This project deals with the paradox of lithium extraction driving societal progress while threatening the hosting communities and ecosystems.
Exploring the lithium-rich territory between Reno and Las Vegas, a stark reality unfolds: the very towns harvesting lithium for the entire country find themselves deprived of essential resources, technologies, and healthcare services. The project reconciles this imbalance and seeks to redistribute resources by engaging the mining company’s assets, policies, and people inhabiting the hinterlands. The system deploys a mobile health infrastructure serving the needs of an aging population in a sparsely populated territory.
As we move forward, we confront the ethical conundrum of progress at the expense of remote towns and the pivotal role of health and environmental justice in the heart of lithium mining territories. This project seeks to draw attention to the need to redefine the politics of care beyond healthcare delivery to encompass the natural world.
Lithium Applications
Lithium’s versatility extends its influence to both technological advancements and healthcare solutions. Within technology, lithium-ion batteries energizes portable gadgets such as smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicles. Simultaneously, lithium compounds play essential roles in fortifying glass, ceramics, lubricants, and air treatment systems.
Transitioning to healthcare, lithium carbonate plays a pivotal role in treating bipolar disorder and depression, aiding in stabilizing moods. Its potential extends to neuroprotective functions against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, exhibiting promising prospects in the neuropsychiatric and neurological domains. Notably, in medical devices, lithium batteries power critical instruments like pacemakers, defibrillators, infusion pumps, and diagnostic tools.
Lithium Impact
Lithium extraction processes result in severe water and land pollution, inflicting lasting repercussions on both the environment and human well-being.
These detrimental effects manifest in the poisoning of local ecosystems and animal habitats, leading to the spread of diseases like dysentery and cholera through tainted food and water sources. Moreover, they contribute to the onset of enduring respiratory issues, highlighting the significant and multifaceted harm caused by such extraction practices.
Silver Peak - Case:
This image shows the juxtaposition of Silver Peak Mine in Nevada, which is the only lithium mine currently present in the US. The vast landscape consists of pools for lithium extraction, contrasting with tailings from previous mining operations.
The infrastructure in Silver Peak shows some new and some old house typologies that highlight the precarious nature of this town. Lithium extraction is definitely not bringing prosperity to the people of this overlooked town that is actively participating in the green energy transition.
Population:
To explore the spatiality of the lithium paradox, the Nevada territory is the perfect example of how the lithium rush is driving increased extraction and manufacturing capacities in this territory.
Specifically, aligning with our field trip, I looked at the stretch between Reno and Las Vegas, the two main urban centers, and all the smaller towns and rural areas in between. On the left side, we have the population of the towns along I-95 capturing these towns.
Demographics:
Learning more about the demographics in the region, we see that cities like Goldfield and Tonopah, in particular, exhibit a higher concentration of elderly people aged 65 and above, highlighting the prevalence of older adults in this region of the map.
But beyond the numbers, the diverse population in the region presents additional challenges when it comes to access to care.
Current Health Infrastructure:
A stark reality unfolds in this sparsely populated territory: the very towns harvesting lithium for the entire country find themselves deprived of essential resources, technologies, and healthcare services.
On the map, we can identify the major healthcare infrastructures situated along this route, as well as their respective distances from each town. The major services are located in larger cities such as Reno, Hawthorne, Carson City, and Las Vegas, which results in rudimentary access to health.
The smaller towns in this region inhabit communities that are usually overlooked and ignored.
For instance, for Native Americans in the Walker River Reservation, belong to the Paiute Tribe which is a federally recognized Tribe in Nevada established in 1874. Also, inhabits miners and miner’s family.
Infrastructure/ Health Issues:
“We were very disheartened … it’s a huge barrier to us because we should have that government to government relationship where they’re sending everything directly down to us because we are the First Nations and long before, our ancestors paid for this. That promise was to provide Indian health services for people and, when it comes to pandemics or shutdowns, we’re a second thought.”
“We are underneath the Phoenix area [when it comes to accessing IHS], so we have to rely on the regional hospitals, Carson City, Reno, Nevada. And so we are then considered a burden on their healthcare systems,” Torres said.
Infrastructure/ Health Issues:
Many people at the reservation have underlying health conditions such as obesity and diabetes, which make them highly vulnerable to the novel coronavirus. Mental health and addiction issues also plague Nevada tribes.
“We have a huge vulnerable population here,” said Amber Torres, chair of the Walker River Paiute Tribe. “A lot of our people are older, have diabetes, have underlying health issues that put them at risk and we want them to be safe. That’s huge to us because the nearest hospital is 40 minutes away and transportation is a huge issue for our people here.”
Infrastructure/ Health Issues:
Torres, chairman of the Walker River Paiute Tribe, is concerned about harmful surface and groundwater contaminants seeping from a polluted mine toward the tribe’s reservation along the Walker River.
From 2005 to 2020, Nevada’s Native American communities faced 187 EPA-recorded water system health violations due to volatile organic compounds like benzene, linked to risks such as leukemia, birth defects, and neurological issues. Enhanced sanitation facilities can decrease hospital visits for respiratory, skin, and gastrointestinal diseases, as per IHS.
EPA is currently performing remedial investigations and risk assessments on the Yerington Paiute Tribe’s Campbell Ranch reservation and on the Walker River Paiute Tribe’s reservation. The investigations focus on contamination that potential migrated from mine impacts through the Wabuska Drain and into the Walker River.
Used for treating wounds, fever, and digestive issues.
Utilized for puri cation, respiratory ailments, and ceremonial purposes.
Berries and leaves used for various medicinal purposes, including as a digestive aid.
Bark contains salicin, which is similar to aspirin and used for pain relief.
Leaves used for respiratory issues like coughs and congestion.
Leaves and stems used for various medicinal purposes, including treating colds and sore throats.
YARROW
Native Plants and Medicines
SCHURZ
Community Resilience:
The Walker River food sovereignty project has constructed four hoop houses on the reservation.
The program encourages residents to grow their own gardens and assists with irrigation systems and by providing seeds to community members.
Simultaneously, the indigenous population served as invaluable teachers of resilience. Initially, they imparted lessons through their profound understanding of plants and the environment, harnessing their knowledge to navigate and thrive within their surroundings. Furthermore, their advocacy and activism efforts were instrumental in constructing programs that safeguarded and guaranteed their access to essential food resources. This intergenerational community not only preserved traditional wisdom but also fostered a spirit of collective resilience, passing down invaluable insights and strategies that fortified their community against adversity while advocating for their rights and sustaining vital resources for generations to come.
Health Center, Walker River Reservation
Regional Community Benefit Agreements: HEALTH
The project reconciles this imbalance and seeks to redistribute resources by engaging the mining company’s assets, policies, and people inhabiting the hinterlands.
1. Creation of a new regional authority to administer access to health and wellness projects.
2. Requiring mining and manufacturing companies in the lithium economies to contribute to a regional health trust funds for community benefit.
System Network:
The schedule allows for “Health” to be accessible at all times to these remote towns. It is to make sure that these communities are not ignored while we move closer to a green energy transition.
This intervention allows room for community health to be at the forefront with a systematic mobile deployment strategy.
Proposal:
The system allows for some deployable resources for “Health” and some local infrastructure in these towns to support it.
After initial data collection and research, the system is tailormade for these communities to function by themselves and connect with the other communities in the vicinity.
Proposal:
The system allows for some deployable resources for “Health” and some local infrastructure in these towns to support it.
After initial data collection and research, the system is tailormade for these communities to function by themselves and connect with the other communities in the vicinity.
The proposal emphasizes aspects of “health” through a prototypical strategy comprising pop-up, small, medium, and large interventions. These interventions aim to address various dimensions of health within the context of the project, offering a versatile approach that caters to different scales and facets. By incorporating a range of interventions, from temporary popups to more substantial and semi-permanent measures, the proposal seeks to create a holistic and adaptable framework for promoting and enhancing health-related elements within the given environment.
This view shows the day scheduled for “Dental Health Check-up.” The interactive boards display this information to keep the people in the town up to date with the activities.
The Native Garden is a space to honor the native communities of Nevada, and particularly this region.
The environmental data screen lets users know about the current air quality and mining activities in the area.
The food trucks are a way to provide various community-building programs to the people..
The trucks are “re-charged” by the EV charging station while they serve the community.
Sources
1. Adamson, Bill. “Tonopah Medical Challenges Public Health, Safety Issues.” Pahrump Valley Times. [Link: https://pvtimes.com/tonopah/ tonopah-medical-challenges-public-health-safety-issues/]
2. Environmental Protection Agency. “Walker River Superfund Site Profile.” EPA. [Link: https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/SiteProfiles/ index.cfm?fuseaction=second.cleanup&id=0902959#:~:text=EPA%20 is%20currently%20performing%20remedial,and%20into%20the%20Walker%20River]
3. Federal News Network. “This Bill Could Compensate Veterans Exposed to Radiation at a Nevada Test Range.” Federal News Network, May 2023. [Link: https://federalnewsnetwork.com/veterans-affairs/2023/05/this-bill-could-compensate-veterans-exposed-to-radiation-at-a-nevada-test-range/]
4. Glick, Natalie. “After Pandemic Woes, Walker River Paiute Tribe Builds Food Security, Looks to Food Sovereignty.” KUNR, November 29, 2022. [Link: https://www.kunr.org/local-stories/2022-11-29/ after-pandemic-woes-walker-river-paiute-tribe-builds-food-securitylooks-to-food-sovereignty]
5. Indian Health Service. [Link: https://www.ihs.gov/]
6. Nevada Current. “Nevada’s Native Communities Face Worsening Access to Clean Water, Plumbing.” Nevada Current, September 8, 2022. [Link: https://www.nevadacurrent.com/2022/09/08/nevadas-native-communities-face-worsening-access-to-clean-water-plumbing/]
7. Ryan, Jenny. “Nevada Polluted Mine Deal Walker River Paiute Tribe.” Reno Gazette Journal, February 11, 2019. [Link: https://www.rgj.com/story/news/2019/02/11/nevada-polluted-mine-deal-walker-river-paiute-tribe/2784051002/]
8. Saenz, Kristin. “Nevada Native American Tribes Wait for Federal Aid, a Second Thought.” Sierra Nevada Ally, April 24, 2020. [Link: https://sierranevadaally.org/2020/04/24/nevada-native-americantribes-wait-for-federal-aid-a-second-thought/]
9. Snyder, Michelle Rindels. “A Vegetarian Coffee Shop on the Walker River Reservation Seeks to Spread Health in a Food Desert.” The Nevada Independent. [Link: https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/a-vegetarian-coffee-shop-on-the-walker-river-reservation-seeksto-spread-health-in-a-food-desert]
11. U.S. Department of Energy. “Community Benefit Agreement (CBA) Toolkit.” Department of Energy. [Link: https://www.energy. gov/justice/community-benefit-agreement-cba-toolkit]
12. Walker River Tribal Health Center. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [Link: https://npin.cdc.gov/organization/walker-river-tribal-health-center]
