Lithium funding concerns in Imperial County Board of Supervisors meeting

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - Senate Bill (SB) 797, also known as the Lithium Extraction Law, is a bill imposed by Senator Padilla. Lithium extraction will tax metric tons of lithium extractions to businesses.

The community expresses concerns about the oversight on implementing tax revenue and where those resources and funds will be contributed to.

For right now, there is no clear documentation from the county where the distribution of funds or categories are going towards.

The Imperial Valley Equity and Justice Coalition believe that they need strong resident oversight of any lithium tax revenue.

Daniella Flores, the Executive Organizer for the Imperial Valley Equity and Justice Coalition, believes that the tax funds be implemented in a "transparent and accessible way."

The Salton Sea in the Imperial Valley plays a big role in being the largest reserve of lithium, which is instrumental to lithium-ion batteries and clean energy.

The high demand for lithium is expected to grow within the next decade, according to the Imperial Valley Equity and Justice Coalition.

In 2022, Governor Newsom signed the Lithium Extraction tax law, which established a tax for every metric ton of lithium produced. 80% of the Revenue goes to Imperial County and 20% to the Salton Sea restoration efforts.