Related Articles
-Editorial
In a new documentary, White Gold in Lithium Valley, produced by Celia Xavier, the race to extract lithium in the Imperial Valley is explored through the lens of both progress and controversy. As the region’s lithium potential promises new economic fortunes, the film delves into the complexities of the legal battles, environmental concerns, and community challenges that are emerging alongside this booming industry.
Lithium Valley represents a transformative opportunity for Imperial County, promising economic growth, job creation, and a shift toward clean energy production. However, the path to this prosperity is being complicated by organizations advocating for equity and environmental justice.
A screening was held at Stockman’s Club located at 275 Marjorie Avenue in Brawley, California on December 12. Community members were able to hear the local stories about the opportunities and struggles to make Imperial County the epicenter of lithium development in the United States.
The documentary showcases the delicate balance between exploiting the valley’s lithium reserves and preserving its environmental integrity. Corban Dillon, a local geothermal energy expert, plays a prominent role in the film, offering insight into the crucial relationship between geothermal energy and lithium production.
“We as a community have to come together to better our community,” said Corban Dillon, emphasizing the potential for growth and prosperity in Imperial Valley’s lithium industry. “We have an opportunity here to become major players in this lithium culture — to make money and distribute it within the vast amount of community members here. Not only will these plants create taxpayers and high-paying jobs, but they could change families for the better.” Dillon highlighted the impact of higher wages, allowing families to build stronger financial foundation.
Dillon stressed the need for community preparedness and education to fully realize the industry’s potential. “A lot of individuals are behind on that because they don’t understand the process,” he said. “We have an opportunity to become one of the richest, if not the richest. I’ve heard people run numbers at the college level suggesting we could rival Dubai or even Silicon Valley with the amount of lithium we’re going to produce. If we do it right, we all could benefit.”
Activist Maritza Hurtado is among those calling for greater accountability, transparency, and the involvement of more experienced organizations in outreach efforts.
Hurtado believes that while many community members are eager to participate in the growth of this industry, certain organizations tasked with leading outreach have fallen short. “We have a lot of people in this community who want to be involved in the growth of this industry, but many of the organizations leading the charge aren’t doing it right and may be causing more harm than being helpful,” she said.
According to Hurtado, the root of the problem lies in the way funding was distributed during the initial phase of the program. She criticized the decision to allocate large sums to Comité Cívico Del Valle and referred to its Executive Director, Jose Luis Olmendo, as a “poverty pimp,” arguing that the group failed to deliver on its promise of meaningful community outreach and education.
“The first opportunity for funding was mishandled. The outreach wasn’t done properly, and the funds were directed to a group that had the resources to educate the community but failed to do so,” Hurtado stated. “Instead, we saw them focus on radical activities, which caught the county’s attention and raised questions about their financial management.”
Hurtado explained that some of these groups lacked the proper infrastructure to manage community outreach. She noted that some organizations received funding before even obtaining their 501(c)(3) status and later sought support from Comité Cívico del Valle. “Their structure was unstructured,” she said, emphasizing that an unprepared team was tasked with handling essential community engagement efforts.
This mismanagement, according to Hurtado, eroded trust within the community and left many residents feeling excluded from the process. “This is such an important industry, and when you have unstructured people handling programs, it’s no surprise that we didn’t get what we expected,” she said. “People are frustrated because this first opportunity was wasted, and bridges were burned in the process.”
Jesus Solano, a community activist and member of the Calexico Volunteer Group Alliance, is calling for greater accountability from nonprofits and local leaders, questioning their impact on the community.
“Now, all these nonprofits — and I’m not gonna paint all the nonprofits with the same spray gun, okay? Because I am part of the nonprofit Calexico Volunteer Group Alliance,” said Solano. “We operate in the best interest of Calexico. We are transparent. Everything’s donated, everything’s done by volunteers, and it’s all for Calexico.”
Solano highlighted his group’s contributions, crediting it as the origin of several local leaders and activists.
He also aimed Imperial County Equity & Justice Coalition, a nonprofit that he claims failed to deliver on its promises to Calexico. “What has Equity & Justice done for Calexico, for the rest of the community? We ran them out of Calexico. They went up to Westmorland or Calipatria,” said Solano. “They said they were going to flip the Valley starting from the south. Now they want to start from the north down.”
