Sierra Club seeks to join lawsuit challenging Imperial County Data Center approval

The Sierra Club has filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit challenging Imperial County's approval of a massive hyperscale AI data center project in the Imperial Valley, California, intensifying local debate. The environmental group, in papers filed May 1, requested Superior Court Judge L. Brooks Anderholt's permission to join a lawsuit initiated by the City of Imperial against the County of Imperial and its Board of Supervisors. This case, ECU004457, disputes the County's issuance of Grading Permit BP# 63316 and a Notice of Exemption for the project by Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing, LLC, a facility projected to be nearly one million square feet for AI and machine learning. Sierra Club asserts that the project was approved without adequate environmental review as mandated by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and seeks to protect air quality, water resources, agricultural land, and public health, citing potential impacts on the Salton Sea. Separately, local residents and property owners, including Tom Dubose, Kevin Smith, Ryan Dickerson, and Daryl Dickerson, have filed a high-profile lawsuit against Linsey Dale, Imperial County Registrar of Voters. This legal action challenges a proposed ballot initiative, the "Imperial County Data Center Prohibition Act," which aims to ban data centers countywide that meet specific size and power thresholds. Petitioners argue the initiative is legally flawed, violating the single-subject rule and containing unlawful provisions. Both lawsuits underscore significant divisions within Imperial County regarding balancing economic development with concerns over water consumption, agricultural impacts, air quality, and infrastructure strain.