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A new plan would allow certain industries to bypass full environmental review in California’s Imperial Valley. The plan is supposedly designed to encourage lithium extraction, but it does away with important permitting requirements for certain other industries. This greenwashing would harm the health of local communities, bulldoze over Indigenous Peoples’ rights, and worsen demands on the already overtaxed Colorado River, an important lifeline for residents and the economy.
On February 7, 2025, Imperial County released a draft of the long-awaited Lithium Valley Specific Plan. According to state law, the plan is supposed to streamline permitting for geothermal energy development and lithium extraction, processing, production, and related manufacturing activities on 51,622 acres near the Salton Sea in Southern California. Lithium is widely used for electric car batteries and other technologies.
Earthworks supports responsible development of direct lithium extraction in Imperial County, so long as the environmental impacts are fully analyzed and mitigated, and communities and workers benefit through enforceable, legally binding agreements. The specific plan was a chance to move these goals forward and encourage development that brings family-sustaining, high road careers to the people of Imperial County while benefiting the climate.
As currently written, the plan weakens permitting requirements for industries that have nothing to do with lithium:
- Anaerobic digesting facilities, which use manure from factory farms to generate biogas
- Automobile wrecking and recycling
- Data centers to power artificial intelligence
- Green hydrogen, which uses electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen
Earthworks is not necessarily opposed to these industries. However, the plan proposes changing permitting decisions for these industries from “discretionary” to “ministerial.” This means that these industries will be exempt from full review under the California Environmental Quality Act. They won’t need to disclose their impacts through a stand-alone Environmental Impact Report, seek public comment from frontline communities, or complete tribal consultation.
This could have devastating consequences for a community already dealing with a severe air quality crisis and looming questions about availability of Colorado River water. For instance, data centers and green hydrogen both require massive amounts of fresh water. Water is crucial to the economic future of Imperial County and its residents.
These industries carry risks that need careful analysis before permitting decisions are made. If a company wants to build a digester, auto wrecking yard, or data center, they should be required to go through the full permitting process. Communities in Imperial Valley have the right to know the impacts of these industries. Don’t let the Lithium Valley Specific Plan be a Trojan horse for new, fast-tracked industries on the shores of the Salton Sea.
Make your voice heard! Imperial County is currently accepting public comments on the draft Lithium Valley Specific Plan, due April 1st. If you live in California, your voice is especially important. Let Imperial County leaders know that no new industrial development should be allowed to bypass state laws that protect residents and the environment.