So to wrap up your findings:

not only, that the LAC management has no clue, when Cauchari-Olaroz will start producing Lithium, on top of that, there is just a fairly good chance, that the Thacker Pass wont get opened on an enviromental basis. Which is still better outcome, than an admition, that the purification process is quite diffult to scale info mass production...  GO LAC :-(