We keep coming back to the concept of "partnership" with the local "indigenous" community in regard to mining projects in the U.S.  U.S Department of Energy Secretary Jenifer Granholm, as quoted in the article linked by Cal, certainly draws attention to such a partnership:

"When thinking about where to permit mines, Granholm stressed the need for community buy-in.

“The view of the administration is that mining that is done here — in the U.S. — must be done responsibly, sustainably, and with the buy-in of local and indigenous groups,” she said. 

Granholm said Indigenous communities who have been on the land for generations “have to be at the table” during mine planning. She said that companies could engage in partnerships, such as community development agreements, to direct benefits to Indigenous and local communities."

Nevada Lithium's Alexi Zawadzki  committed to the idea of being a "Good Neighbor" and the broader interpretation of that goal would incorporate not only those Native Americans adjacent to and/or affected by a Thacker Pass lithium mine, but also the farmers and ranchers in the areas nearby the proposed lithium mine. 

So, I think it is only fair to point out that Alexi Zawadzki's concept goes even further in the goal of achieving amicable community relations for Nevada Lithium's Thacker Pass Project than is envisoned by the narrower stated viewpoint of the U.S. Secretary of Energy.  Zawadzki's stated goal of Thacker Pass to be a "Good Neighbor" also predated the press friendly quotes of Secretary Granholm.

Alexi Zawadzki, CEO of Nevada Lithium, went public in print on 28 April of 2021 with an explanation of just how Thacker Pass would benefit the nation and gave examples of how his "Good Neighbor" goal would be implemented:

____________________________________________________________________ 

The Thacker Pass project in Nevada is uniquely positioned to play a key role in this American-made lithium supply chain solution critical to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  Thacker Pass has the potential to increase U.S. lithium supply over 10-fold to meet most, if not all, expected domestic demand.

Nevada could become a world leader in specialty lithium chemicals production, a champion in the fight to reduce America’s carbon footprint and a leader in the critical industries that produce and deploy clean technologies. Thacker Pass stands to put hundreds of jobless Nevadans back to work and strengthen communities. 

Clearly, the development of Thacker Pass is in the Nation’s interest.

After 10 years of data collection, environmental studies, geologic exploration, technological innovation, community engagement, and an exhaustive permitting process with state and federal authorities, Thacker Pass is projected to commence construction later this year after essential permits are received.    

We have listened carefully to the community and are taking additional steps to be good neighbors and a part of Humboldt County for many decades to come.

We will provide as many as 300 family-supporting jobs, creating opportunities for rural Humboldt County youth to stay and thrive in the communities where their parents and grandparents established deep roots. 

We are committed to working with local partners to equip residents with the right skills to take advantage of job opportunities. 

We will contribute taxes and our local procurement policies will bring additional economic benefits to the surrounding communities. 

We are focused on exceeding all the relevant state and federal safety and environmental laws we are obligated to comply with, not just meeting them. 

We will build away from sensitive species, as purposefully designed and approved in our final Environmental Impact Statement.

We are avoiding mining in the Montana Mountains to protect its sagebrush habitat and important cultural areas, despite false claims that we are “blowing up mountains”. 

The plant has been designed to use waste heat to generate carbon-free power for our operation. 

We will repeatedly recirculate the water used in processing our ore to minimize our water needs. 

Thacker Pass has committed to using the best available technology to limit air emissions. 

The mined pit will be backfilled with sand and rock that does not contain valuable lithium metal and will be revegetated as soon as possible, instead of waiting to the end of the mine life to begin reclamation.   

We will always strive to earn people’s trust and support through our actions as a responsible operator and charitable member of the community.  

After a decade of talking, meeting, and planning, we are now on the cusp of construction. It is only to be expected that fellow Nevadans would want more information about our path forward. We are planning a range of upcoming engagement opportunities with the communities of Northern Nevada. 

As President Biden said recently, “This is the decade we must make decisions that will avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis.”  Together, we will help position American workers and industry to do just that.  

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Again, it should be emphasized that Zawadzki's statements were made public all the way back on 28 April of this year.

So when did Secretary Granholm voice her qualification of what must be included for mining in the U.S.?

Well, at least the quote that Cal's article provided ( "“The view of the administration is that mining that is done here — in the U.S. — must be done responsibly, sustainably, and with the buy-in of local and indigenous groups,” ) stems from quotes she rendered on her 10 June 2021 visit to Nevada.

It is interesting to note earlier espousements by Secretary Granholm made on 9 March 2021 and reported in an article from Reuters:

"“Many parts of the country are sitting on top of the materials that we need to produce battery technologies,” Granholm said at a webinar hosted by Securing America’s Future Energy, a nonpartisan advocacy group for renewable energies.

Granholm, who said she drives an electric Chevrolet Bolt from General Motors Co, said that there would be “huge demand” for a sustainable mining process that extracted and refined minerals in the United States, though it was not immediately clear how she defined that term."

Energy Secretary Granholm says U.S. needs to produce more EV minerals | Reuters

Even the author of the Reutrer article opined that Secretary Granholm's definition of the term "sustainable mining" was lacking in any precision.  My guess is that the wording was purposely left hazy in order to provide some wiggle room in the swamp of political expediency for the future... and now we are in that future relative to when she made those comments back in March of this year.  I recommend keeping an eye out for the way that "sustainable mining" terminology transmogrifies in the timeline extending from today forward.  It was, I believe, a deliberate use of language in order to justify position changes, should the Secretary at a later date feel the need for pivoting away from:  

“Many parts of the country are sitting on top of the materials that we need to produce battery technologies,” and from "there would be "huge demand” for a "sustainable mining process that extracted and refined minerals in the United States."

Thanks, Cal, for posting your article link.  I want to come back to see what Secretary Granholm's pronouncements will be after Judge Du renders her decision next month and after the larger issue on a possible injunction is determined.

In the interval between now and then I wouldn't expect that very many members of the press will draw anything remotely akin to "fair and balanced" attention to the statements made by Nevada Lithium's CEO, Alexi Zawadzki, back on 28 April 2021.  I am not holding my breath looking to see the popular press mention even one of Zawadzki's explanations of his view regarding being a "Good Neighbor".  That would mean they would have to cover both sides of a controversy and that goes against the grain of the current state of "Journalism".