Seeking Environmental Justice in California’s “Lithium Valley”

https://earthworks.org/blog/seeking-environmental-justice-in-californias-lithium-valley/

Lithium extraction has started picking up steam in Southern California’s Imperial Valley. Companies here are trying to extract the lithium below the Salton Sea. Lithium extraction would be fine in and of itself, but these companies are using Direct Lithium Extraction which uses “chemical and physical processes that have never been used before” to get this lithium out of the geothermal power plants. While they have promised that the extraction will be environmentally friendly, when questioned, the companies have given vague answers that make people question their legitimacy. 

There are 5 areas of environmental impacts the author has highlighted. Air quality, freshwater consumption, Salton Sea degradation, hazardous waste and materials and seismic activity. They go on to say that communities should be aware of the impacts and the processes going on as this is their home. 

While I can understand the need for lithium – it’s used in batteries, and also for mental health(bipolar) medication – I think it is important to look at the pros and cons of extracting it. The companies in charge don’t seem to care about the environment and aren’t really communicating with the residents. Ultimately, it should be the residents decision to go through with this because they are the ones affected in the long term. For the longest time, the Salton Sea has been pushed aside and seen as a sacrifice that needs to be made, but I think that if companies are going to mess with the area, then they need to take more initiative and figure out ways to extract the lithium with the least damage done. So far, it doesn’t seem like they have much concern at all.