Lithium Australia (LIT) has been given the green light to extract lithium from mining waste dumps in Western Australia to produce lithium-ion batteries. The state government approved plans for LIT to remove excess tonnage— which will become part of the feed required for the company's proposed large-scale pilot plant (LSPP). Last April, LIT confirmed it had successfully separated lepidolite (lithium mica) from mine waste using an x-ray transmission ore sorting process. LIT will use its 100%-owned SiLeach process to separate lithium content from mining waste into a concentrate stream. In testing, more than 90% of the available lepidolite reported to the concentrate stream. The company said it would consider this technique to pre-concentrate lithium mica from waste, prior to transport to its proposed large-scale pilot plant.