A lithium extraction project in Imperial County has been linked to impacts on wetlands connected to the Salton Sea, the largest saline lake in California, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said in an October announcement. The EPA stated it reached a settlement on October 17 with Hell’s Kitchen Geothermal LLC (HKG). The agreement covers dredging and ditching activities that affected wetlands in the area.
The EPA said construction for the HKG initiative began in November 2021. The project was described as expected to deliver major economic benefits to Imperial County, including billions of dollars in investment and thousands of jobs. The agency said the work has already produced adverse effects on local ecosystems.
Wetlands impacts found during federal inspection
In an inspection conducted in September 2022, EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials found that materials from HKG’s site were discharged into about 27.2 acres of wetlands. The EPA said the discharge diverted water from the wetlands, leaving them too shallow to carry out their ecological functions. Under the settlement terms, HKG is required to restore the affected wetlands to their original condition.
The EPA said the restoration costs are covered by HKG, according to spokesperson Michael Brogan. Martha Guzman, the EPA’s Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator, said the agency is focused on enforcing environmental laws and protecting the Salton Sea and associated wetlands. She also said projects should comply with federal regulations as part of a transition to a clean energy future.
Lithium resource estimates tied to geothermal project
A 2023 report from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimated that the Salton Sea region contains about 3,400 kilotons of lithium. The report said that amount could be sufficient to power 375 million electric vehicle batteries. Controlled Thermal Resources, described as HKG’s parent company, characterized the region as one of the largest geothermal and critical minerals resource zones globally.
The EPA noted that extracting lithium-rich brine from deep underground involves a process that uses significant amounts of water. It said water availability is already limited in the region and that officials previously stated they could not disclose precise water requirements for mining operations. Representatives from HKG did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publication.