County-led Lithium Valley specific plan advances; draft EIR expected in mid-May

Brian Mooney, the managing principal for Rick Engineering, presented a draft of the Lithium Valley specific plan and associated timeline to the Brawley City Council on March 18. County and consultant teams said the plan focuses on large-scale mineral extraction, green industrial uses, manufacturing, logistics and conservation.

The specific plan is intended to cover tens of thousands of acres at the southern end of the Salton Sea. "We were asked to plan 50,000 acres at the foot of the Salton Sea," Mooney said, describing early scoping and the technical working groups that informed land-use alternatives. He said the preferred first phase covers about 25,000 acres, of which roughly 8,000 acres are proposed for conservation and the remainder for job-oriented uses.

The specific plan establishes vision and guiding principles that prioritize public health, local jobs and clean industry. Mooney said the plan includes chapters on land use, design standards, circulation and transportation, infrastructure, community health and implementation. He described proposed truck routes, possible rail connections and a range of infrastructure that would be needed if the plan proceeds to implementation, including wastewater and water treatment, drainage and water storage.

Council members and staff asked for clarification on timing, governance and litigation risk. Mooney said the county is the lead implementing agency and that the County of Imperial would coordinate the project, potentially partnering with the Imperial Valley Economic Development Corporation and other consultants. "The County of Imperial will be" the primary coordinating body, he said.

On schedule, Mooney said the team planned to publish a draft environmental impact report (EIR) for public review in mid-May 2025 and aim for planning commission and board of supervisors actions in the fall of 2025. He outlined an optimistic development scenario in which a data center applicant could begin construction in 2026 if approvals happen in October or November 2025 and identified other pilot or early projects that the team expects could proceed earlier if funding and federal support are secured.

Mooney acknowledged outstanding constraints, particularly around water allocation and potential litigation: "We can't stop somebody from litigating, but we feel that we are preparing documents and plans that will stand up to any litigation that comes through." He also described state funding provided for community outreach and said the team had conducted more than 600 public engagements and awarded about $800,000 to community-based organizations for outreach.

Council members pressed the team on options for rail access and the high cost of grade separations across State Route 111; Mooney said the plan provides alternatives and that rail extension would likely require a joint funding arrangement among property owners, the county or a special district and Union Pacific. He said rail implementation could be a decade-scale project depending on demand.

Mooney described a community benefits framework that the County is seeking to develop, including hiring priorities and a Good Neighbor community-benefit program tied to taxes and revenues that would be reinvested in affected communities.

The project team invited additional public comment and said the public review period for the draft EIR would be the next major milestone. Public hearings on the plan and EIR were described as forthcoming once the draft EIR is released for comment.