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LAS VEGAS — <\/span>A federal judge in Nevada has ruled against conservationists who wanted to stop a lithium-boron mine they said would harm an endangered wildflower<\/a>. <\/p>\n The ruling marks a major legal victory for the 11-square-mile (28.49 square-kilometer) Rhyolite Ridge Lithium\/Boron Mine Project in Esmeralda County, located between Reno and Las Vegas. The land holds the largest lithium and boron deposit in the world outside of Turkey, said Bernard Rowe, managing director of Ioneer, the Australia-based company behind the project. <\/p>\n U.S. District Judge Cristina Silva ruled Friday that the federal government properly approved the project and sufficiently examined the impacts the project will have on the rare wildflower called Tiehm\u2019s buckwheat, whose entire population grows within 10 acres (4.05 hectares) of land in the project area. Environmental groups behind the lawsuit say they may appeal.<\/p>\n Lithium is an essential component of electric vehicle batteries. Rhyolite Ridge would be Nevada\u2019s third lithium mine<\/a>, and one of few mines that will process the materials on site, Rowe said.<\/p>\n \u201cRhyolite Ridge will create hundreds of new American jobs, reduce reliance on foreign materials and processing, and provide a domestic source of two critical minerals,\u201d Chad Yeftich, vice president of corporate development and external affairs at Ioneer, said in a statement. <\/p>\n Ioneer wants construction to start by the end of this year and production in 2029, though it is still looking for a financial partner after a major investor pulled out last year. Sibanye Stillwater said the project did not make financial sense. In January 2025, the Department of Energy finalized a nearly $1 billion loan for the project.<\/p>\n The $2 billion mine would have a life span of over 77 years and would produce enough lithium carbonate for around 400,000 electric vehicles, Rowe said. It will also produce boric acid, which is used in pest control, flame retardant, and medical and personal care.<\/p>\n Rhyolite Ridge was first approved under the Biden administration<\/a> as an part of the former president\u2019s clean energy agenda. The Trump administration has also supported lithium projects in Nevada<\/a> as a way to bolster US manufacturing of critical minerals. The Interior Department declined to comment.<\/p>\n