A contested lithium extraction facility in Imperial County was dealt a setback in court Tuesday. The California Fourth Appellate District said that Imperial County officials unlawfully approved Controlled Thermal Resources’ Hell’s Kitchen project and asked a lower court to overturn its earlier ruling in favor of the project. The appeals court said there was insufficient evidence that the company had secured water for its 50-year life span and that an environmental impact report didn’t address the impact of water use on air quality in the area just east of the Salton Sea that the county has branded “Lithium Valley.”  The ruling, written by Associate Justice Julia Kelety, also said that the environmental review did not adequately address possible future mandated water supply reductions from the Colorado River.

Other water court and litigation news:

• Courthouse News Service: California appeals court orders environmental review of Imperial County geothermal, lithium project
• Courthouse News Service: Companies say California denied them due process in Ninth Circuit water rights case
• Bay City News Service: Environmental groups sue California over delayed white sturgeon review