Houston Chronicle by L.M. Sixel 2/1/2019
TONOPAH, Nev. — Halfway between the eight-hour stretch of highway that connects Las Vegas and Reno sits Tonopah, a town of 2,500 that caters to the mining industry. A big silver discovery nearly 120 years ago put Tonopah on the map. These days, the town is a refuge in the desert for miners looking for places to sleep and eat after spending long days at the nearby gold and silver mines.
The latest rush for lithium, a metal increasing in demand as the electric vehicle market grows and renewable energy producers need better and more efficient storage, has attracted even more miners to Tonopah which has one hotel, a few motels and limited single family housing.
Many of the miners live in man camps, much like the makeshift quarters that have popped up in West Texas and other remote areas of the oil patch to house the flow of oil and gas workers who follow the jobs. Some oil and gas companies use converted shipping containers to provide sleeping and living space while others retrofit prefabricated manufactured homes that are easy to put together on site and remove when the job is done.
Some man camps, however, are elaborate with movie theaters, gyms and on-site chefs.
Waiting list
More:
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/Man-camps-Nevada-style-13579993.php
