A massive lithium discovery beneath California’s Salton Sea has set off a high-stakes push for what some have implied could be America’s best shot at lithium self-sufficiency. The U.S. Department of Energy confirmed in late 2023 that an estimated 18 million metric tons of lithium—often called “white gold” on account of its silvery-white appearance and economic importance—valued at roughly $540 billion is trapped in the geothermal brine beneath the Salton Sea, a shrinking lake in Southern California’s Imperial Valley. … Despite optimism surrounding the potential economic upsides, some of the projects are not without criticisms. One lawsuit filed by CCV (Comite Civico del Valle) and Earthworks, an environmental nonprofit, argued that the Hell’s Kitchen project’s environmental review failed to account for potential air and water hazards.