NEWRY, Maine — Mary and Gary Freeman are no strangers to exploring the woods in and around Newry. Their business Freeman Resources mines gems in that area, but the two discovered a different type of mineral that is just now getting public attention.
After surveying aerial maps, and soil samples, the two found a lithium deposit on their property. That wasn't the exciting part, Mary said Thursday.
“What was remarkable wasn’t that they were there. But the size of the crystals and when we went and had it tested to find out how rich they were," she added.
Freeman said some of the crystals are more than 30 feet long and these specific deposits are nearly twice as pure as other crystals found around the world.
The public is just starting to learn about this deposit that is estimated to be worth $1.5B or more. Despite that potentially big economic impact, the town of Newry and Town Administrator Amy Bernard still doesn't know how it will affect the community.
“I think we’re just kind of waiting and seeing and we’re going to do our due diligence as a community to protect our resources because people come here because it’s beautiful," she said Thursday.
Because of a law passed in 2017, there is no open-pit mining for metals allowed in the state of Maine. University of Maine professor Alicia Cruz-Uribe said this deposit could be mined differently.
“Mining the lithium out of this rock is essentially no different than quarrying granite," she said. “It represents a potentially substantial economic impact for the state of Maine.”
Cruz-Uribe added lithium batteries will play a very important role in Maine, and in the world for decades to come.
The batteries are used to power cell phones and electronic vehicles and will be important as the state explores ways to save energy from wind and solar farms.
Freeman said now that countries around the world are working to find lithium supplies, this deposit in Newry could be a benefit to the local area and the country as a whole.
The issue now is, will the state even allow for the extraction of this mineral? Will the town of Newry vote for the process to happen?
Bernard said she's already heard people opposed to mining the natural land in one of the more scenic destinations in Maine. She also assumed people would support the mining.
But the landowners said no decision will be made without a great deal of thought. Mary Freeman said she and her husband love the land they own in the Newry area and would never want to harm it.
“We believe it can be done, but it’s not going to be done quickly. You can’t just be looking at dollar signs, you have to look at the whole picture.”