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Investing.com -- American Battery Technology Company (NASDAQ:ABAT) stock surged 23% Monday after the company announced it completed all required National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) baseline studies for its Tonopah Flats Lithium Project in Nevada.
The completion of these studies marks a significant milestone for what the company describes as "one of the largest critical mineral lithium projects in the United States." ABAT submitted all baseline reports to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), fulfilling a crucial prerequisite for initiating the formal NEPA review phase.
Over the past two years, ABAT conducted 21 studies across 14 categories, spanning biological, ecological, hydrological, geological, cultural, and socio-economical areas. These studies were identified during a March 2023 Baseline Needs Assessment meeting with over 40 regulatory agencies and stakeholders.
"I am extremely proud of the ABTC team and all of our consultants that helped to drive these 21 studies to completion over the past several years," said ABTC CEO Ryan Melsert in the announcement.
The Tonopah Flats Lithium Project spans over 10,340 acres and reportedly contains 21.15 million tons of accessible lithium hydroxide monohydrate. ABAT has also submitted a comprehensive Mine Plan of Operations for the project, which is currently under BLM review.
In June 2025, the project was selected as a "Covered Priority Project" under President Trump’s March 2025 Executive Order on "Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production," which aims to expedite approvals for priority mineral projects.
The company is preparing to release a Pre-Feasibility Study with detailed analyses of the project’s technical and economic performance.
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