Good afternoon/evening, California Energy Commission (CEC) staff and Berkshire Hathaway Energy (BHE) liaisons,
My name is Crystal Quezada, Imperial Valley regional director for the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties and a resident of Imperial.
All Imperial Valley communities, especially those most impacted by lithium extraction in the north end, deserve to live in a clean and healthy environment where they can thrive and prosper.
They should have the opportunity to be active participants in decisions that impact the health and well-being of their communities on behalf of themselves, their families and their neighbors.
Today’s workshop was scheduled with very little notice to our communities. Posted on Friday, July 19, this notice gave the public only seven business days to make arrangements to participate in an extensive, potentially two-day-long workshop.
The choice of location, while centrally located in the county, is not ideal for those most impacted by the topic of today’s discussions. Many residents have limited access to transportation, making it harder for their voices to be heard.
Some of these communities are upwards of 50 minutes away with limited transportation options, and although a virtual program is offered, we, as well as many of the leaders in this room, know north end communities have been identified to have a gap in broadband coverage, limiting their ability to participate virtually.
While hosting this workshop is a good first step to engage the Imperial Valley community, it is imperative that residents in the north end are provided the same opportunity as those in more populated areas of our county.
Lastly, this workshop is being held on a weekday, at a time when many working families may not be able to attend and express their concerns or learn more about how these projects will impact them.
We are concerned that north end residents, who are historically some of the most underserved communities in Imperial Valley, are not being meaningfully considered during this comment period or in the planning of this workshop.
Public concerns must be considered, and decision makers, as well as industry representatives, should seek out communities that are most impacted and meet them where they are. North end residents must be provided in-person comment opportunities that are accessible and realistic for working families in Lithium Valley.
Racial, economic, health and environmental equity must be prioritized in these plans. Our most impacted community members, our neighbors and families, especially on the north end of the county, must be heard and engaged when discussing plans that impact their futures.
We urge the CEC to host additional in-person workshops with 30-day notice and after work hours to allow for more robust and meaningful participation from working families.
In addition, at least one of the workshops must be held in the north end of Imperial County with transportation for those who need it.
Thank you for your time.
