Snapshot: In 2024, advocacy groups Comite Civico del Valle and Earthworks filed a lawsuit to stop Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR), an Australian company, from extracting lithium from the Salton Sea in California, USA. In the lawsuit against the County of Imperial and the company, the plaintiffs allege that the environmental review approved by the County for the Hell’s Kitchen Lithium and Power project, which began construction in January 2024, violates the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The lawsuit claims that the County's environmental review inadequately addresses water usage, potential waste generation, and tribal concerns​.

On 9 January 2025, an Imperial County Superior Court Judge, in a tentative decision, ruled in favour of Controlled Thermal Resources, affirming that the company had met the necessary environmental requirements under CEQA. This decision allows the Hell’s Kitchen project to proceed. Comite Civico del Valle and Earthworks said that they are exploring all available legal and policy avenues, including a potential appeal, to ensure stronger environmental protections and community safeguards.

The case is ongoing.