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 failed to consult with local Indigenous tribes about mitigation measures.

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.

In March 2025, Comite Civico del Valle and Earthworks appealed the dismissal. In their opening brief filed before the Fourth District Court of Appeal in September 2025, they argue that the environmental impact report for the Hell’s Kitchen lithium project overlooks significant risks related to air quality, water consumption, hazardous substances, and tribal cultural resources. The company denounced a “frivolous legal appeal” and issued a press release. On 16 July 2026, California's Fourth District Court of Appeal heard oral arguments.

On 11 August 2026, California's Fourth District Court of Appeal partially reversed the ruling upholding Imperial County’s approval of the Hell’s Kitchen geothermal lithium project. It found that the county’s environmental impact report did not sufficiently address the project’s long-term water supply, potential water shortages and related air-quality impacts. However, it ruled that Indigenous Peoples had been adequately consulted on the project's impacts.

The case is ongoing.