Lithium Americas Receives Final Decree, Approving the Development of Its Cauchari-Olaroz Lithium Project

TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 12/12/12 -- Lithium Americas Corp. (TSX: LAC) (OTCQX: LHMAF) ("Lithium Americas" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has received final project approval for the construction of its Cauchari-Olaroz lithium/potash project.

Upon the recommendation of the Committee of Experts, the Jujuy Government has executed the final decree, through the joint resolution of the Production Minister and Secretary to the Government, which approved the development of Lithium Americas' Cauchari-Olaroz project. Such approval includes water use permitting, confirmation of mining licences in good standing, environmental approval for lithium and potash production, and all other permits required to start project construction.

"Lithium Americas is very proud of advancing the Cauchari-Olaroz project from discovery and exploration, through development, to fully permitted in just short of 4 years," stated Dr. Waldo Perez, President and CEO of Lithium Americas. "We continue to receive an enormous level of support from multiple constituencies in Argentina. We have worked extremely hard to garner this support, which has served to accelerate the permitting and development of Cauchari-Olaroz, as well as further de-risk the project. With the permitting process concluded, our next milestone is securing project financing and off take agreements, which will allow us to initiate project construction in 2013."


About the Company

Lithium Americas is developing one of the world's largest and lowest cost lithium operations. The Company has defined the world's third largest lithium brine resource, and a completed definitive Feasibility Study identified that Lithium Americas' operating cost per tonne of lithium carbonate is expected to be one of the lowest in the industry. Mitsubishi Corporation and Magna International are shareholders in the Company, in addition to both companies having off-take arrangements with Lithium Americas.


Cautionary Note and Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward looking statements, which can be identified by the use of statements that include words such as "plan", "developing", "estimate", "could", "potential", "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "likely", "will" or other similar words or phrases. Forward-looking statements express, as at the date of this press release, the Company's plans, estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations, or beliefs as to future events or results. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions, including the key assumptions and parameters on which such estimates are based, involve risks and uncertainties and there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. Therefore, actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

Factors that could cause results or events to differ materially from current expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, include, but are not limited to, possible variations in mineral resource and reserve estimates, grade/concentration or recovery rates, lithium or potash prices, operating or capital costs; availability of sufficient financing to fund planned or further required work in a timely manner and on acceptable terms; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated or other unanticipated difficulties or interruptions; political, community relations, regulatory, environmental and other risks of the mining industry and other risks more fully described in the Company's Annual Information Form dated May 28, 2012 and its most recent management's discussion and analysis available on SEDAR. The Cauchari-Olaroz project has no operating history upon which to base estimates of future cash flow. The capital expenditures and time required to develop any new project is considerable and changes in capital and/or operating costs or construction schedules can affect project economics. It is possible that actual capital and/or operating costs may increase significantly and economic returns may differ materially from the Company's estimates or that prices of lithium and/or potash may decrease significantly or that the Company could fail to obtain or maintain governmental approvals necessary for the operation of its project or obtain project financing on acceptable terms and conditions or at all, in which case, the project may not proceed either on its original timing or at all. It is not unusual in the mining industry for new mining operations to experience unexpected problems during the start-up phase, resulting in delays and requiring more capital than anticipated. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results to be materially different from those planned, estimated, forecasted, projected or expected. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligations, to update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking statements.



Contacts:

Lithium Americas Corp.
Mike Cosic, Chief Financial Officer
416-360-1921
mcosic@lithiumamericas.com
www.lithiumamericas.com