The Imperial County Board of Supervisors released its revised draft Lithium Valley Specific Plan (LVSP) and draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) in late December 2025. The LVSP is a land use plan being proposed by the County of Imperial that will guide industrial development on 51,622 acres near the Salton Sea nicknamed “Lithium Valley” for decades to come. These industries could bring economic opportunities to our communities if done right. Unfortunately, the draft LVSP and draft PEIR do not get it right.

The draft PEIR accepts that there are too many missing details to fully analyze environmental impact right now, and delays a lot of analysis. BUT the draft PEIR also argues that the current analysis is detailed enough to allow major LVSP development to proceed possibly without future environmental review and public comment. If approved as currently written, the draft LVSP and draft PEIR could result in development that is haphazard and unchecked, with substantial environmental impact and few guaranteed economic benefits to Imperial County residents.

In particular, the draft PEIR vastly underestimates water and energy use, underestimates environmental harm related to air quality, noise, endangered species, tribal cultural resources, and more, and underestimates risks to the health of workers and the community. Even more concerning, the draft PEIR argues that negative impacts in Imperial County are worth it for the goal of fast-tracking lithium extraction and industrial development, framing Imperial Valley as a sacrifice zone

Commenting on the draft PEIR may be your last real chance to speak out on industries that could impact your health, environment and everyday lives. Don’t miss it! The County is legally required to respond to all substantive issues raised in public comments — your voice can matter. Residents deserve fair and transparent development that does not harm our health and environment, and provides long-term benefits to the community, for many years to come.