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Early Site Preparations for Proposed Mine To Continue Through the End of the Year
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Albemarle continues preparing the Kings Mountain Mine site for potential redevelopment by removing unoccupied structures along the site’s perimeter. The aim is to establish visual and noise buffers for nearby neighborhoods. So far, we have safely demolished 12 properties.
Early site preparations are currently underway at properties owned by Albemarle on Parkdale Circle and Battleground Avenue. Asbestos abatement at those sites is complete, and full demolition is expected to occur over the next few months. Signage along the affected streets will keep community members informed.
Prior to demolition, each property undergoes a thorough inspection by contracted experts to assess requirements for safe removal. These inspections include checking for materials such as asbestos, identifying groundwater wells and locating fuel oil tanks. Contractors use this information to deploy appropriate safety practices, equipment and permits before work begins.
In addition to demolition, certain structures will continue being used in collaboration with Cleveland Community College and local emergency response agencies for hands-on training, including controlled burns, rope exercises and second-story access drills. These activities support certification training and emergency preparedness.
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Learn about Jenny Nacu, Lithium Hydroxide Unit Leader at the Kings Mountain Site
Today, she’s a unit leader and engineer, but what inspired her early in life were her father’s achievements as an engineer.
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| Meet Jenny
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Last year we awarded 21 local grants in honor of the City of Kings Mountain's 150th Anniversary. This year, we will continue to highlight a few of these recipients every month to follow the contributions they are making to their communities:
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Cleveland County Schools Robotics Program
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The Cleveland County Schools Robotics Program inspires students to dive headfirst into science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through hands-on learning, team-building and real-world applications. It equips students with vital 21st-century skills—problem-solving, creative thinking and collaboration—as they design, build and program robots for both competitive and cooperative challenges.
The program includes two Challenge Days and a Tournament Day. During Challenge Days, teams engage in robot-building tasks, team-building competitions and research projects, enriched by community presentations. On Tournament Day, students present their research to community judges, earn points in teamwork challenges and demonstrate their robots in action. Guided by dedicated coaches and industry professionals, the program empowers students to enhance their technical knowledge, leadership skills and confidence—preparing them to thrive in a technology-driven future.
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Responsible Mining at Kings Mountain: Noise and Vibration Monitoring
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At Albemarle, protecting the surrounding community and environment is a top priority.
During proposed mining operations, we do not expect noise or vibration levels to exceed the existing background levels. But to buffer nearby properties, we’re incorporating landscaped berms at key locations around the site's perimeter.
A formal monitoring and mitigation plan is in development, with results to be shared quarterly. A network of nine monitoring stations has been installed to measure blast-related vibration and noise levels and confirm they remain well below established thresholds.
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Lithium in Our Lives:
X-Ray Imaging
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Lithium plays a key role in advanced X-ray imaging systems by enabling both high-precision optics and sensitive detectors. Lithium's particularly low atomic number makes it one of the most X-ray–transparent solid elements and ideal for compound refractive lenses (CRLs). In CRL systems, stacking thin lithium lenses helps focus high-energy X-rays more efficiently, a crucial capability for applications like microscopy and material analysis.
Lithium also helps improve how X-rays are detected and translated into images. When lithium is added to silicon detectors, it boosts their ability to pick up and measure X-ray signals with accuracy. That means sharper images and better information for scientists and doctors who rely on X-ray technology.
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Congressional Luncheon
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The Cleveland County Chamber of Commerce hosted U.S. Rep. Tim Moore on Monday for a sold-out Congressional Luncheon.
Representative Moore provided updates on recent federal legislation and its potential impact on the local community. He discussed forthcoming changes to tax and regulatory policies, area road projects and emphasized the strategic importance of domestic mining. Albemarle was among the event’s sponsors, alongside other regional and national partners.
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Central Catawba Basin Watershed Symposium
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Albemarle was honored to sponsor the annual event, which brought together professionals from municipal water departments, wastewater and stormwater sectors, along with environmental nonprofits and local colleges and universities.
Participants engaged in collaborative discussions aimed at addressing the region’s water challenges.
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Cleveland County Fair
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Visit us Sept. 25- Oct. 5 in Goforth Hall. We'll have fun giveaways and a chance to test your lithium knowledge!
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