U.S. EPA settles with California company over wetlands discharge
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with Hell’s Kitchen Geothermal LLC (HKG) over dredging and ditching work in Imperial County, California, that harmed wetlands connected to the Salton Sea.
The company’s work was performed on leased Imperial Irrigation District land as part of a lithium extraction and geothermal power project. The work led to the discharge of materials into wetlands, which in turn caused the water from these wetlands to flow into the Salton Sea. This led to about 1,200 acres of wetlands lacking sufficient water to sustain their ecological functions and values.
The settlement requires HKG to develop a plan to restore the wetlands to their former condition.
"EPA is committed to our responsibility to enforce environmental law, and to play our role in protecting the Salton Sea, associated wetlands, and all waters of the U.S.,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman in a press release. “The transition to a clean energy future is underway, and we want to see these types of projects move forward in compliance with federal law.”
Starting in November 2021, Hell’s Kitchen Geothermal extended drain channels and related berms, banks, androads on a nearly 2,000-acre parcel of property owned by the Imperial Irrigation District. The work to extend the drains consisted of ditching and dredging the channels, extending them closer to the Salton Sea.
This resulted in material being discharged to approximately 27 acres of wetlands. The work also impacted up to 1,200 acres of wetlands by causing water to flow out of the wetlands and into the Salton Sea.
Geothermal plants like the one under construction by HKG can generate electricity 24 hours a day by tapping into the heated water located thousands of feet below the Salton Sea. In addition, lithium, which is contained in that water, is a key ingredient in batteries that power electric cars and make up storage systems for solar and wind energy.
