Environmental group National Parks Conservation Association, represented by Earthjustice, is suing the US Department of the Interior and National Park Service over approval of Dateline Resources’ Colosseum rare earth and gold project inside the Mojave National Preserve’s Clark Mountain region, about 10 km from MP Materials’ Mountain Pass mine. The suit alleges NPS authorised mining without a valid plan of operations or required permits, breaching multiple federal laws and long-standing park protections. Dateline says exploration and project work will continue, but its shares fell 9.5%, cutting market capitalisation to about A$1.23 billion.

Mangrove Lithium has commissioned North America’s first commercial electrochemical lithium refinery in Delta, British Columbia, with capacity to produce 1,000 tonnes per year of battery-grade lithium hydroxide—enough for about 25,000 EVs—using an electrolyser and membrane system that regenerates sulfuric acid and eliminates sodium sulfate waste. The plant can process feed from brines, hard rock, clays, geothermal direct lithium extraction and battery recycling, reducing chemical consumption and carbon intensity versus conventional routes. Backed by up to C$116 million from the Canada Growth Fund and C$21.9 million in conditional federal support, Mangrove is advancing a 20,000 t/y Quebec refinery and has an MoU to source spodumene from the North American Lithium mine.

Copper futures in New York climbed more than 5% this week to $6.11/lb ($13,480/t), nearing January’s record close as satellite data show Chinese smelters running at unprecedented levels. Earth-i’s SAVANT index reports China’s inactive capacity at just 3.9%, driving an all-time high active capacity of 10.73 Mt, 775,000 t above a year ago, while North American smelter inactivity has surged to 32.3%. Spot TC/RCs have flipped from +$50/t in January 2024 to about –$78.50/t, with Antofagasta’s 2026 benchmark with a Chinese smelter settling at zero, the lowest on record.