Residents raise concerns about Lithium Valley plan and county CEQA rule changes during Imperial meeting

Tyler Brinkerhoff, representing the Imperial Valley Chamber Foundation, outlined the scope of Imperial County’s draft “Lithium Valley” specific plan and program environmental impact report, describing roughly 51,000 acres near the Salton Sea guided for geothermal, lithium production, manufacturing, infrastructure and conservation.

Brinkerhoff directed residents to the county’s public materials and said the two draft planning documents are designed to guide land use and mitigate environmental impacts. “These documents are currently in their draft form, and public comment ended in March,” he said, noting the documents are available online at imperialcounty.org.

Resident Jake Tyson told the council he is worried the county’s proposed changes to local CEQA regulations go beyond housekeeping and could alter who controls appeals and what members of the public may raise in review. “It sounds kinda funny…this document is not just a housekeeping update. It is Imperial County rewriting the local rules for how CEQA decisions, exemptions, appeals, and environmental review procedures will be handled going forward,” Tyson said.

Tyson urged citizens and the council to follow the Planning Commission review closely and to treat changes to the county’s CEQA implementation as substantive rather than minor edits. He said the changes could affect when residents are deemed to have missed their chance to object and called for greater transparency and public involvement at the county level.

No formal council action on the county documents was taken at the meeting; both comments were made during the city’s public-comment period.