Community Engagement
Thacker Pass is founded on more than a decade of feedback through community
engagement, and we are proud of the trust and transparency we have built
with our stakeholders and local Indigenous communities. We are committed to
building collaborative and mutually beneficial relationships with local
communities where we operate and creating positive socio-economic impact and
generating value for our stakeholders throughout our development and
operating activities.
We are proud to invest in Nevada’s future and help position the state
as a leader in critical mineral development. Through Thacker Pass, we are
creating economic opportunities, generating local employment, promoting
business opportunities and investing in community and infrastructure
programs. We collaborate with local academic institutions and industry
associations to develop skills and training programs that support local
employment and promote the variety of jobs needed at Thacker Pass.
Additional information:
Indigenous Engagement
The Fort McDermitt Shoshone and Paiute Tribe (the Tribe) is
the closest Native American Tribe to the Project, located ~40 miles north,
with more than 1,200 members of which ~300 reside in Fort McDermitt. We work
closely and engage proactively with the Tribe to better understand and
address their interests and concerns and to advance our shared priorities.
In 2022, Lithium Americas and the Tribe signed a Community Benefits
Agreement (CBA), which established a framework for
continued collaboration and defined long-term benefits for the Tribe. As
part of the CBA, the Tribe provided
a letter in support of the Thacker Pass project. In 2025, we received a request from the Tribal Council to renegotiate
terms of the CBA. Following continuous discussions with the Tribal Council,
Lithium Americas and the Tribe jointly signed an Amended and Restated CBA.
These amendments will provide the Tribe with future autonomy regarding how
they choose to use the allocated funding provided by Lithium Americas.
Our Indigenous engagement also includes Native American Cultural Awareness
training as part of onboarding LAC employees, hosting local job fairs in
McDermitt and Fort McDermitt, organizing training events for Tribe members
including Process Plant Fundamentals Training and Heavy Operator Training,
developing a Cultural Resource Monitoring Agreement with the Tribe and
providing meaningful family-supporting employment at Thacker Pass.
Additional information
Social & Economic Impacts
Thacker Pass will play an integral role in the economic development of
northern Nevada. The construction of Phase 1 will employ over 2,000 workers,
including 1,800 craft professionals. During operations, Phase 1 is expected
to create approximately 350 family-supporting permanent positions.
We are committed to engaging with and working closely with our local
communities to sustainably drive economic growth, including:
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Providing training programs, including Process Plant Fundamentals
Training, Heavy Equipment Operator Training and Cultural Monitor Training
for Tribe members, reflective of the needs and interests of the local
communities.
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Funding the design and construction of the new K-8 school in nearby
Orovada. Construction is expected to begin in the second half of 2026.
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Invested $18.6 million in electrical grid upgrades for Northern Nevada
between 2025-2026. To better serve Thacker Pass, Harney Electric
Cooperative upgraded six pieces of the regional electric grid as well as
rebuilt ~19 miles of overhead line.
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Invested $4.4 million on improvements to Highway SR-293 and the
intersection of Highway SR-293 and US-95 in 2023.
Talent Attraction, Development and Retention
Our people are our greatest asset. Together, we are driven by a common
vision to be North America’s leading lithium producer to enable
cleaner energy sources. Our teams work in an environment where integrity,
responsibility, innovation and collaboration are encouraged every day. We
build our workforce by providing employees, and potential employees, with
opportunities to develop their skills and pursue fulfilling careers. Our
management approach is focused on talent attraction, talent development,
talent retention and employee engagement. .
Additional information:
Human Rights
We respect the human rights of our workforce, the communities in which we
operate and across our value chain. Our commitment is demonstrated through
being a signatory to the UN Global Company and implementing the
“Protect, Respect and Remedy” framework set forth in the UN
Guiding Principles on Business.
Our
Human Rights Policy
outlines our commitment to upholding the rights and interests of workers,
local communities and vendors across our supply chain and operations. We
require all employees to uphold our Human Rights Policy and actively provide
training to all employees.