Residents clash over Lithium Valley, data centers as public commenters press board on development and trust

Speakers during the Aug. 25 public-comment period and consent-calendar debate reprised a contentious split over large-scale development in Imperial County. Jake Tyson sharply criticized the board’s economic-development approach, arguing the county has prioritized developer incentives over community safeguards and that the county’s environmental review (PEIR) was legally inadequate. “Stop asking Imperial County to subsidize your vision until you can prove your vision survives the law, the water supply, and reality,” Tyson told supervisors.

By contrast, Albert Zambrano urged the board to support responsible data-center development, saying the community needs well-paying jobs and infrastructure investments if projects meet legal and environmental standards. The tension over how to balance economic opportunity and environmental and public-safety risks also surfaced during the CEQA update discussion, where speakers and counsel debated appeal rights and procedural safeguards.

Board members acknowledged those divergent views as part of larger policy decisions about water, infrastructure and public safety. The CEQA item was postponed to allow further public input and legal refinements; supervisors signaled they will require more community engagement before approving rules that affect how large projects are reviewed.