There is little doubt in any Californian's mind that the fearsome 750-mile San Andreas Fault represents an existential threat to Southern California.

The southern portion of the San Andreas Fault running from Parkfield to the Salton Sea in southern California is considered by Caltech’s famed seismologists as a major threat for a major magnitude 7+ earthquake sometime in the near future.

So it is natural for residents of Southern California to wonder if those requesting mining permits from the State of California have conducted seismological studies before extracting lithium close to the San Andreas Fault and the newly discovered Salton Trough Fault, which runs parallel to the San Andreas Fault?

Where Is There More Lithium to Power Cars and Phones? Beneath a California Lake.

The U.S. race to secure a material known as ‘white gold’ turns to the Salton Sea, where energy companies hope to extract lithium from a geothermal reservoir

In the U.S. hunt for lithium, an essential component of the batteries that power electric vehicles and cellphones, one big untapped source might be bubbling under a giant lake in Southern California. 

The U.S. currently imports almost all of its lithium, but research shows large reserves in underground geothermal brines—a scalding hot soup of minerals, metals and saltwater. The catch: Extracting lithium from such a source at commercial scale is untested.

At California’s Salton Sea, three companies, including one owned by Warren Buffett’s conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway Inc., are pushing ahead with plans to do just that. Those efforts are backed by money from governments eager to secure supplies of critical minerals that are key to several modern technologies.

The plans could turn this southeastern corner of California into one of the largest producers of what some call “white gold” at a time when most of that material comes from Australia, Chile and China. The geothermal reservoir under the Salton Sea area is capable of producing 600,000 metric tons a year of lithium carbonate, according to estimates from the California Energy Commission. That level of output would surpass last year’s global production.

[OCS: The question regarding the Earth’s deformation and the alteration of water levels have yet to be answered.]

The key to unlocking all that lithium is the superheated geothermal water deep beneath a broad area that includes the Salton Sea. For decades a number of local geothermal plants have extracted that water to produce electricity. Some of those same operators now want to reach for the dissolved lithium that also resides in the geothermal brine.  An initial push came in 2017 after the California Energy Commission began awarding grants to help advance lithium extraction processes. Berkshire Hathaway Energy, which is conducting tests at one of its 10 geothermal plants, received $6 million and another $14.9 million in federal funds. The company said that commercial production should begin in 2026. <Source> 

Bottom line…

First, why is the taxpayer paying for testing that could produce billions of dollars in profits for private companies? Second, what is the people's return on their investment -- and spare me the talk about national security interests.

Lessons from history appear to suggest where big money and political power are involved; safety concerns are minimized until something happens – then blame is diffused as a “systemic problem” with no individual or organization held accountable. 

A major regional quake will certainly kill or injure thousands of people and cause billions of dollars in property damage.

Please show me the research!

-- steve