26 agos 2023 anni - Mixed prospects for lithium deposits in California's Salton Sea

Descrizione:

Frontline communities in Lithium Valley are cautiously optimistic about the economic potential, but are also concerned about the health and environmental issues mining could create.

By June Kim
August 26, 2023

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Salton Sea is located in Imperial County in southern California. The lake and its wetlands were formed artificially in 1905 when the Colorado River breached an agricultural canal and flooded a low area. Over time a new ecosystem developed, which offered crucial habitats for migratory birds and a refuge for people from the hot desert sun.

But for more than 20 years, this once-thriving oasis became desiccated and polluted with agricultural runoff and waste from California's farm industry. Rising salinity, and a shrinking freshwater supply from the chronically drought-plagued Colorado River, has made the Salton Sea uninhabitable for many aquatic species. The low-income economy suffered, too, as the flow of visitors slowed.

Recently, the Salton Sea has become a hotbed of industrial activity filled with promise for the future. Beneath its shores lie untouched lithium deposits that experts believe could play a role in the world’s clean energy future.

With the rising demand for lithium during the clean energy transition, the area—also known as “Lithium Valley”—has become an attractive location for major energy companies to explore advanced mining techniques like direct lithium extraction (DLE). Through DLE, companies can directly capture lithium from brine deposits using a special “lithium filter,” bypassing the traditional, resource-intensive open-pit mining and evaporation pond processes.

Billionaire investors are backing DLE projects: Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and others are investing. In August 2023, automaker Stellantis (formerly Chrysler) announced that it would invest $100 million in a DLE project. The U.S. Department of Energy also granted close to $11 million. Companies and some researchers say that the technologies can reduce the environmental impact of lithium mining associated with conventional open-pit mining.

However, no DLE plant in the United States has successfully scaled up production to a commercial level. While there are a few established DLE plants in South America, none is based on a deposit as hard to work with as Lithium Valley.

Several questions remain on whether the technologies will deliver the breakthrough investors seek, and if they will be as environmentally friendly as they are claimed to be. The Salton Sea community is hopeful about the economic opportunities DLE may bring to the region, but there are concerns. Long-time resident Sonia Herbert says, “I think there are some things that are not being addressed. I want to know more about the downside.”

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