Imperial County Extends Public Comment Period for Lithium Valley Environmental Review

-Editorial 

Imperial County has extended the public comment period for a draft program environmental impact report tied to the proposed Lithium Valley Specific Plan and related land-use changes, giving the public until 5 p.m. April 17, 2026, to submit written feedback.

County officials said the extension follows requests from residents, organizations, and government agencies seeking additional time to review the documents and supporting studies. The draft Program Environmental Impact Report, released Dec. 30, 2025, was prepared by the Imperial County Planning & Development Services Department in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act, which requires environmental analysis and public review for major development proposals.

The review package includes the Draft Lithium Valley Specific Plan, amendments to the county’s General Plan and zoning ordinance, and a proposed construction workforce ordinance establishing prevailing wage requirements and a 40% local hiring goal, with exemptions for certain sectors including agriculture.

The proposed plan area covers approximately 51,622 acres of unincorporated land along the southeastern shore of the Salton Sea. The study area extends from the Imperial Wildlife Area Wister Unit in the north to the City of Calipatria in the south and is bounded in part by the New River. It includes shoreline and open-water areas, agricultural lands, geothermal facilities, and limited residential and recreational uses.

The terrain is generally flat and slopes westward toward the Salton Sea basin, with much of the land situated below sea level. According to the draft environmental report, the area contains sites identified under state hazardous materials provisions and includes significant open space and habitat areas.

The project stems from state legislation signed in 2022 by Gavin Newsom. Senate Bill 125 authorized funding to support the development of lithium resources in the Salton Sea Known Geothermal Resource Area and directed the preparation of a specific plan and environmental review. The law also established a lithium excise tax intended to support Salton Sea restoration and provide revenue for communities affected by resource development.

County officials describe the proposed plan as a framework to guide geothermal energy production, lithium extraction, manufacturing, logistics operations, and renewable energy projects. The plan would establish new land-use categories including green industrial development, manufacturing, solar energy areas, conservation zones, floodplains, and community opportunity areas, along with an agricultural overlay.

The draft environmental impact report concludes that implementation of the plan would result in significant and unavoidable impacts in several areas, including aesthetics, agricultural resources, air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, greenhouse gas emissions, noise, population and housing, transportation, and tribal cultural resources.

The report found that other environmental topics — including energy use, geology and soils, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, public services, recreation, mineral resources, utilities and wildfire risk — would result in no impact, less than significant impact, or impacts that could be reduced through mitigation measures.

A public hearing on the plan and the final environmental impact report will be scheduled before the Imperial County Board of Supervisors after the close of the extended review period. Spanish interpretation will be provided at hearings related to the project using state-funded translation services.

County officials said written comments submitted by the deadline will be reviewed and addressed in the final environmental report. Only comments submitted by mail or email to the county planning department will be considered part of the official record.

Copies of the draft environmental report, appendices, supporting technical studies, and related planning documents are available for public review at county planning offices in El Centro and online. Printed copies are also available at the Imperial County Free Library, Calipatria Branch. Spanish-language executive summaries of the environmental report and specific plan have been posted on the county website.

County officials said the extended review period is intended to provide additional opportunity for public input as the county evaluates future land use and economic development in the region surrounding the Salton Sea.