In an article written for Law360, Sarah Mangelsdorf — a partner in Goldberg Segalla’s Toxic Tort and Environmental Law practice groups — delves into the increasing momentum behind green technology.

In her piece — titled “Growing Green Tech Demand Spells Trouble for Groundwater” — she explores the demand for essential minerals such as lithium in the making of this technology and the potential impact that mining these minerals could have on water sources.

Sarah notes the California Salton Sea region could play a significant role in meeting the rising lithium demand, adding the region has the potential to produce more than 3,400 kilotons of lithium. That’s enough to support over 375 million batteries for electric vehicles, surpassing the total number of vehicles on U.S. roads.

“Historically, water, particularly groundwater, has been a vital component of mining,” Sarah writes. “It is used for processing metals and suppressing dust. Additionally, water is often removed from aquifers as part of the underground mining process to prevent flooding in the mines.”

However, Sarah notes the recent uptick in droughts is causing groundwater to replenish at a much slower rate, and “in addition, these droughts are also depleting other above-ground freshwater sources.”

She further explains that groundwater supplies — traditionally a local or state issue — may prompt the establishment of a national regulatory scheme in the future to meet mining demands, which may then result in a “fundamental shift in our use of water to more sustainable practices.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: “Growing Green Tech Demand Spells Trouble For Groundwater,” Law360, January 8, 2024

MORE ABOUT GOLDBERG SEGALLA’S Sarah B. Mangelsdorf:

Sarah B. Mangelsdorf is an accomplished attorney with more than 15 years of experience practicing across a broad range of legal areas, with extensive knowledge in toxic tort and environmental law. She represents many large corporations and businesses, including manufacturers of petroleum and chemical products, industrial equipment, general contractors, timber and agricultural companies, and members of the maritime industry. Sarah has defended clients, through trial or settlement, in various legal matters involving asbestos, environmental law, OSHA, products liability, and wrongful death. She regularly counsels clients on general compliance and litigation issues arising from state and federal environmental regulations and enforcement actions with the express aim to avoid costs of litigation and mitigate any potential liability.