Final Environmental Impact Statement Thacker Pass Lithium Mine Project Appendix B Mining Plan of Operations This page intentionally left blank. Appendix B – Mining Plan of Operations APPENDIX B. MINING PLAN OF OPERATIONS Thacker Pass Lithium Mine Project B-1 Final Environmental Impact Statement Appendix B – Mining Plan of Operations This page intentionally left blank. B-2 Thacker Pass Lithium Mine Project Final Environmental Impact Statement Thacker Pass Project Proposed Plan of Operations and Reclamation Plan Permit Application July 2019 October 2019 - Revised Submitted to: Bureau of Land Management Nevada Division of Environmental Protection Winnemucca District Bureau of Mining Regulation and Reclamation Humboldt River Field Office 901 S Stewart Street, Suite 4001 5100 East Winnemucca Boulevard Carson City, Nevada 89701 Winnemucca, Nevada 89445 Submitted by: LithiumNevada Lithium Nevada Corp. 3685 Lakeside Drive Reno, Nevada 89509 Contact: Edward (Ted) Grandy, VP Legal and Regulatory Affairs Thacker Pass Project – Plan of Operations and Reclamation Plan LithiumNevada Summary Lithium Nevada Corp. (LNC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Lithium Americas Corp. (LAC), proposes to construct, operate, reclaim, and close an open pit lithium mining and processing operation, the Thacker Pass Project (Project), located on public lands in northern Humboldt County, Nevada. The surface and subsurface mineral estates associated with the Project are located on public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Winnemucca District, and controlled by federal unpatented lode mining claims owned by LNC. LNC is submitting this Plan of Operations and Reclamation Plan (Plan) to develop the Project in accordance with BLM Surface Management Regulations under 43 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 3809, Surface Occupancy regulations under 43 CFR 3715, and Nevada reclamation regulations under Nevada Administrative Code (NAC) 519A. The purpose of this Plan is to provide BLM with a description of the proposed lithium mining and processing operations. The Reclamation Plan includes measures to be implemented to prevent unnecessary or undue degradation of public lands by operations authorized under the mining laws. LNC intends to develop a premier lithium operation in the United States through an innovative processing approach, engagement with partners, communities and customers, and a commitment to principled entrepreneurship and sustainable development. The proposed production from the operation is anticipated to meet most or all of U.S. lithium demand, thereby significantly reducing exposure to foreign supplies. The Project’s design is sensitive to carbon emissions, water needs by recycling water, and protecting high-value ecological areas in the Montana Mountains. The proposed Plan of Operations (POO) boundary (defined as the “Project area”) will encompass approximately 10,468 acres with an estimated disturbance footprint of approximately 5,545 acres. LNC has permitted and performed mineral exploration activities within the Project area since 2007, including construction of drill sites and access roads. These authorizations, when combined, total less than 200 acres and are included as part of the proposed Project disturbance area. LNC will develop the Project in two phases (Phase 1 and Phase 2) over the estimated 41-year mine life. Pending LNC receiving the required authorizations and permits for Phase 1 of the Project, pre- stripping will commence in early 2021 and construction in the first quarter of 2021, with mining production and ore processing estimated to commence in late 2022. LNC estimates that it will complete mining, processing and concurrent reclamation activities in 2065, after which, October 2019 i Thacker Pass Project – Plan of Operations and Reclamation Plan LithiumNevada reclamation, site closure activities, and post-closure monitoring will occur for a minimum of five years. The Project will provide employment to approximately 300 workers during the operational phase. The proposed activities and facilities associated with the Project include: o Development of an open pit mine to recover approximately 230.0 million cubic yards (M CY) of ore. Pit dewatering is not expected to be required as part of the Project until 2055; o Concurrent backfill of the open pit using approximately 144.3 M CY of waste rock and 75.2 M CY of coarse gangue material; o Construction of two Waste Rock Storage Facilities (WRSFs) to accommodate permanent storage of approximately 45.9 M CY of excavated mine waste rock material; o Construction and operation of mine facilities to support mining operations; o Construction of a 494 thousand cubic yard Run-of-Mine (ROM) stockpile; o Construction and operation of an attrition scrubbing process to separate the lithium-rich fine clay from the coarse low-grade material (coarse gangue); o Construction of a coarse gangue stockpile designed with a storage capacity of approximately 48.4 M CY; o Construction and operation of lithium processing facilities designed to produce lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide monohydrate, lithium sulfide, lithium metal, and solid-state lithium batteries; o Construction of a sulfuric acid plant that will generate sulfuric acid for use in a leaching process and will also generate steam for energy that will provide power to support the Project. Excess heat, in the form a steam, will be diverted to a turbo generator to produce electricity for the lithium process. The sulfuric acid plant will generate electrical power using double contact double absorption technology with an integrated steam turbo generator set; o Construction and operation of a Clay Tailings Filter Stack (CTFS) to permanently store clay tailings, neutralization solids, and various salts generated during lithium processing. LNC will place approximately 353.6 M CY of material on the CTFS; o Construction and maintenance of haul and secondary roads; o Construction and maintenance of stormwater management infrastructures including diversions and sediment ponds; o Construction of three growth media stockpiles with material salvaged within the footprint of proposed disturbances; October 2019 ii Thacker Pass Project – Plan of Operations and Reclamation Plan LithiumNevada o Construction of raw water supply facilities including two supply wells (Quinn Production Well and Quinn Backup Well), two booster pump stations, a water pump tank station, and underground water pipeline to the process plant; Construction of a seven mile 25-kilovolt (kV) power transmission line from a new substation installed in the process plant area to the raw water supply facilities to the east, and a two-mile power transmission line to new mine area substations to the west; and, o Construction of ancillary facilities to support the Project such as septic systems, communication towers, guard shacks, reclaim ponds, weather station, fiber optic line, buffer areas, and fencing. Reclamation of disturbed areas resulting from activities associated with the Project will be completed in accordance with BLM and Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) regulations to prevent unnecessary or undue degradation of public lands by operations authorized under the mining laws. LNC will initiate concurrent reclamation of areas no longer required for operations at the earliest economically and technically feasible time over the mine life. LNC’s proposed Reclamation Plan is set forth in Section 6 of this Plan. October 2019 iii Thacker Pass Project – Plan of Operations and Reclamation Plan LithiumNevada Table of Contents Summary ....................................................................................................................................................... i 1 Operator Information ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Individual Completing Application ............................................................................................... 1 1.2 Project Operator ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Corporate Information ................................................................................................................. 1 1.4 Nevada Registered Agent ............................................................................................................ 2 1.5 Taxpayer Identification Number .................................................................................................. 2 1.6 Claim Information and Land Status............................................................................................2 2 Description of Existing Conditions ...................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Project Location ........................................................................................................................... 3 2.2 Land Disturbance ......................................................................................................................... 3 2.2.1 Areas Disturbed by Previous Operator ................................................................................ 3 2.2.2 Areas Disturbed by Current Operator Prior to January 1, 1981 and Inactive .................. 4 2.2.3 Areas Disturbed by Current Operator Prior to January 1, 1981 and Still Active .............. 4 2.2.4 Areas Disturbed by Current Operator after January 1, 1981, but Prior