McDermitt Exploration Project Completes Federal Permitting
Contact Information
Permitting Council Press Office (media@permitting.gov)
WASHINGTON (July 28, 2026) - The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) is pleased to announce the completion of federal permitting for the McDermitt Exploration project. Added to the Federal Permitting Dashboard as a transparency project in April 2025, this project will produce lithium critical to national security and battery production.
“I am thrilled to see the 20th FAST-41 mining project complete federal permitting,” said Emily Domenech, Permitting Council Executive Director. “By utilizing our Transparency Dashboard, the Permitting Council has been able to support more mining projects than ever before, resulting in more projects completing permitting on time. Congratulations to the Bureau of Land Management for getting this critical mineral project to the finish line.”
Located in southeast Oregon, the McDermitt Exploration project proposes to expand their exploration activities for lithium in the Oregon portion of the McDermitt caldera. The U.S. currently imports lithium to meet battery production needs, but the permitting of this project will allow for the exploration of a possible long-life supply of lithium for domestic consumption.
“BLM’s approval of our EPO for McDermitt is a major milestone for the project and follows extensive environmental studies, community reviews and consultation with state, federal and tribal governments,” said Lindsay Dudfield, President of HiTech Minerals Inc. “As one of the first ten mining projects nationally to be listed as a FAST-41 Transparency Project, McDermitt benefitted from enhanced interagency coordination, improved permitting visibility and the additional resourcing made available under the FAST-41 framework. This has supported a more efficient NEPA process and strengthened the quality of engagement with local communities and stakeholders via both the FAST-41 Permitting Dashboard and BLM’s e-planning platform. HiTech Minerals Inc is grateful for the support provided by the Permitting Council, which has been instrumental in achieving the EPO approval announced today. This progress is underpinned by the Trump Administration’s continued prioritization of domestic mining and processing. With the EPO now approved, we look forward to advancing the project responsibly and transparently for the benefit of all stakeholders. "
The McDermitt Exploration project is sponsored by HiTech Minerals Inc. The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management led federal permitting for the project. Learn more on the Federal Permitting Dashboard.
About the Permitting Council and FAST-41
Established in 2015 by Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41), the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) is a federal agency charged with improving the transparency and predictability of the federal environmental review and authorization process for certain critical infrastructure projects. The Permitting Council is composed of the Permitting Council Executive Director, who serves as the Council Chair; 13 federal agency Council members; and the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. The Office of the Executive Director coordinates federal environmental reviews and authorizations for projects that seek and qualify for FAST-41 coverage, which are in turn entitled to comprehensive permitting timetables and transparent, collaborative management of those timetables on the Federal Permitting Dashboard.
Learn more about the Permitting Council at permitting.gov.
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Last Updated: Tuesday, July 28, 2026