By some estimates, the lithium deposits near Newry may be the largest in the country with the potential to become a critical domestic supply for automakers and so valuable that they could provide a needed boost to Maine’s economy. But there's more to the story.
The issue isn’t that the U.S. doesn’t have the ability to mine these minerals. The problem is that mine permitting, in Minnesota and elsewhere, takes too long, seven to 10 years or more.