Environmental groups have appealed the dismissal of their lawsuit against Imperial County that alleged its environmental review for the region’s first commercial lithium extraction venture violates the Environmental Quality Act.

Following the county’s approval of the review, Controlled Thermal Resources broke ground on the Hell’s Kitchen project on the south end of the Salton Sea last year, hoping to be the first in the race to extract lithium on a commercial level in the region.

A Superior Court judge dismissed the groups’ claims earlier this year, but Comite Civico del Valle and Earthworks say that while the project has potential benefits for the community, Imperial County adopted a plan that fails to address fully the impacts on air quality and water supply.

They also say the plan does not provide enough information on industrial waste disposal, and that the county failed to meet its legal obligation to consult with local tribes on mitigation measures.

“We are committed to staying the course until the Hell’s Kitchen project lives up to its promise and becomes part of a responsible and prosperous Lithium Valley,” said Luis Olmedo, Comite’s executive director.

Imperial County called the appeal meritless and said the project is bound to bring environmental and economic benefits to the region.

“This appeal, like the petition filed in the trial court, does nothing but delay the project and its benefits to the people of Imperial County and the state,” the county’s press release said.

Rod Colwell, CEO of Controlled Thermal Resources, said he was disheartened by the appeal and that the company’s lithium venture offers, “a sustainable solution to critical global issues such as energy production.”

“The delay tactics employed by Comite Civico del Valle and Earthworks do nothing to advance meaningful environmental progress and only perpetuate unnecessary harm to the communities that rely on these opportunities for growth and prosperity.”

Jared Naimark, Earthworks’ California mining organizer, said it’s an important moment for California to stand by environmental laws.

“We won’t give up on defending the integrity of those protections. And we won’t let one corporation compromise Imperial Valley’s future,” he said.