Mainstream Media 5 Years Late Reporting Lithium-from-Shale Story

We've had more than a few MDN readers pass along links from recent mainstream media stories about the treasure trove of lithium available "beneath Pennsylvania" in the state's brine (shale wastewater) production. Which makes us a little bit crazy and amuses us at the same time because we've been reporting on this story since 2019! In October 2019, Eureka Resources, which operates three frack wastewater treatment facilities in the Marcellus Shale (and is building a fourth facility in Dimock, PA), began extracting lithium from Marcellus wastewater at one of its plants in Bradford County, PA (see Marcellus Wastewater Plant in PA Extracts 1st Batch of Lithium). In 2020, the company said its plants could theoretically supply up to 25% of the country’s annual lithium demand --- solely with lithium recovered from Marcellus wastewater (see Eureka Can Supply 25% of US Lithium Demand from Marc. Wastewater). The recent spat of news stories about lithium from shale comes as a result of a new study published in April quantifying just how much lithium could be produced from PA's brine. We reported on the study as soon as it was released (see How Much Lithium (for EVs) is Sitting in PA Marcellus Brine?).

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