Salton Sea Lithium Projects Spark Water and Pollution Worries
In California’s Imperial Valley, companies are pursuing lithium extraction from brine beneath the Salton Sea to supply batteries for electric vehicles. Local officials have approved two mining projects and backed direct lithium extraction, which developers describe as more sustainable than conventional mining. The boom is raising concerns about water use and dust pollution in an already disadvantaged region.
The reporting, a collaboration between Columbia Journalism Investigations and Inside Climate News, examined corporate filings and S&P Global records. It identified about 540 proposed lithium mines globally and roughly 100 U.S. mining projects in permitting, with at least six lithium mines expected by 2030 and 13 more soon afterward, mostly in the arid Southwest.
An analysis found nearly two-thirds of proposed and developing U.S. mines are near communities with social and economic vulnerabilities. Imperial County, largely Hispanic, has high unemployment, low schooling levels and crowded housing, while heat and drought intensify water pressures.
The lithium push could bring jobs and revenue to Imperial County, but residents may face added pressure on scarce water and more dust near schools and homes. If promised cleaner extraction methods fall short, local communities already burdened by poverty and pollution might bear new environmental costs while benefits flow to investors and battery supply chains. The outcome may shape how the energy transition balances mineral demand with local health and water security.