Wednesday night, California lawmakers approved the $3.8 billion state budget plan. Part of the budget includes a new tax on lithium being developed at the Salton Sea. Lithium developer Controlled Thermal Resources said the tax is too high and will instead push people to buy lithium from China. “CTR is confident that an independent study of the
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Stellantis reached an agreement with Controlled Thermal Resources’ Hell’s Kitchen project to buy lithium produced at the Salton Sea to supply its North American electric vehicle production. The 10-year-old agreement will see the CTR supply up to 25,000 metric tons per year of lithium hydroxide, the companies announced. The supply will support Stellantis’ U.S. product offensive
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By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN Business The Salton Sea Basin feels almost alien. It lies where two enormous chunks of the Earth’s crust, the North American Plate and the Pacific Plate, are very slowly pushing past one another creating an enormous low spot in the land. It’s a big, flat gray desert ringed with high mountains
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KESQ News Channel 3 has been awarded a regional Edward R. Murrow Award in the category of News Series. The honor recognizes excellence in coverage for ‘Troubled Waters: The Salton Sea Project.’ Recognition of our commitment to in-depth coverage The Murrow Awards are presented by Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), “the world’s largest professional
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U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm will join local Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz to visit the Salton Sea. Ruiz and Granholm will lead a series of listening sessions with local community members and leaders to hear their firsthand experiences with the public health and environmental impacts of the Salton Sea. The Salton Sea is
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Residents in Salton Sea communities are demanding answers on the potential impacts of lithium extraction projects in the region. They’re calling on local, state, and industry leaders to offer details about how their health and the environment may not benefit from a market which supporters tout as a sustainable energy solution. Patricia Leal Gutierrez, a
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The California Natural Resources Agency is hosting an online public meeting on Tuesday evening to introduce the Independent Review Panel on Water Importation. The Salton Sea Management Program (SSMP) is establishing an Independent Review Panel (Panel) to review concepts for water importation to the Salton Sea for its long-term restoration The Independent Review Panel will
Continue Reading Riverside County and state leaders are looking for public opinion in addressing issues plaguing the Salton Sea. Two public meetings will be held virtually this week to introduce the team members leading the Salton Sea Management Program, to hear from the experts studying the proposals to bring more water into the lake, and to learn
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A small quake measuring 4.0 in magnitude struck this morning at 7:57 a.m. just North of Calipatria near the southern shore of the Salton Sea. It is an area known for seismic activity. No reports of damage or injuries have been reported thus far. It was followed by a 2.3 aftershock just moments later.
Continue ReadingSouth Coast AQMD Issues Odor Advisory for Eastern Coachella Valley, valid through Tuesday July 27, 2021. This advisory is in effect through Tuesday evening. South Coast AQMD will issue an update if additionalinformation becomes available. The South Coast Air Quality Management District has issued an odor advisory for the Eastern Coachella Valley due to elevated
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You might have smelt it a couple weeks ago: the stench of rotten eggs. Long time Coachella Valley residents know that funky smell can waft over from the Salton Sea. It happens on some particularly hot days which helps release more hydrogen sulfide. Combine that with the stifling humidity, which tends to materialize when winds
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General Motors (GM) and Controlled Thermal Resources have reached a historic agreement to develop low-cost lithium at the Salton Sea Geothermal Field, the companies announced on Friday. With this deal, GM becomes the first company to make a multi-million dollar investment in Controlled Thermal Resources Hell’s Kitchen project, which is located near the Salton Sea.
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Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. tells News Channel 3 exclusively that his office has sent letters to Fish and Wildlife Service and Imperial Irrigation District in regards to the Red Hill Bay Project at the Salton Sea. The joint effort between IID and FWS broke ground in 2015, but has yet to be completed. It was
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Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz met with Department of Energy secretary Jennifer Granholm earlier this week to chart a path forward to develop the lithium deposits underneath the Salton Sea and help create clean energy jobs for the community. The DOE is working to support American researchers who are developing the technologies to extract lithium from
Continue Reading The California State Water Resources Control Board today urged people and their pets to avoid the water in the Salton Sea due to a toxic algae outbreak. Officials said that patches of toxic cyanobacteria have been discovered at numerous sites in the sea, and a dog recently died after swimming in the water. “Cyanobacteria harmful
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SALTON SEA, Calif. – On Saturday morning three valley high school students set out on the Salton Sea, kayaking from one side to the other in an effort to raise awareness on the environmental plight and public health issues brought on by California’s largest lake. Palm Desert High School senior Layton Jones, Desert Mirage High
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For the first time since 1997, there will be a Congressional Hearing regarding the Salton Sea. News Channel 3’s Dani Romero has more on what’s next for the sea. Its been over two decades since congressional leaders sat down and discussed the Salton Sea. “This hearing is the First Congressional hearing on this issue since
Continue Reading California’s state budget includes $47 million to help the Salton Sea. The new budget was signed by Governor Newsom last month. The ongoing crisis at the Salton Sea has created environmental and human health concerns that have been discussed for decades. “Already we have the largest rate of pediatric asthma hospitalization in the entire state,”
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Wind and solar often lead the conversation when it comes to renewable energy in California. But new plans suggest geothermal energy could be a growing part of our state’s effort to go green. Geothermal plants generate clean, renewable electricity around the clock, unlike solar panels or wind turbines. The technology, which has been around for
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