For those that are interested in investing in cutting edge lithium producers and pay attention to details, this could do nothing but help LAC. Salton Sea was heralded as a huge project and this article calls into question whether or not it will ever come to fruition, and heavy on the maybe not due to the unique-to-this-project temperatures and acidity that need to be overcome. The article doesn't even mention the permitting challenges in California generally and the Salton Seas specifically that add even more challenges to the pipe dream.

In my opinion they're focussing too much on the new DLE technology. It seems that the temps and acidity are the more problematic challenges. DLE technology isn't new, it's just new to lithium at a commercial scale. SLI in Arkansas is probably the closest in North America to getting it right, followed by E3 in Alberta. 

Mind you, extraction from clay is also new, which is why I am so excited to see LAC's DFS come out probably right after a favorable appeal decision. LAC has had plenty of time to perfect their process and I would expect interest in other big clay projects (CYP comes to mind, even though their process is a bit different) to jump once people are convinced it can be done.