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"We are concerned about how these plants are connected to

May 9, 2017 by Lena Webb

"We are concerned about how these plants are connected to the aquifer system," says Daniel Cepeda, a spokesman for Albemarle.

The Alcalim Desert is also home to oil, gas and coal, which are all important sources of energy. The Atacama has some of the world's largest reserves of this material. And although the region is home to the world's largest lithium production facility, Albemarle has only three employees.

The Atacama's brine is also used to make lithium-ion batteries. As the world's largest lithium producer, Albemarle has already been embroiled in an ongoing dispute. In 2013, Albemarle began a lawsuit against SQM, claiming that it has unfairly taken over the aquifer. The company sued a local government in the Atacama, claiming that it had allowed a local company to take over all or part of its aquifer and siphon off the brine from the Atacama aquifer to supply SQM.

"The aquifer is a bit of a mystery," says Luis Guzmán, regional director of the Salar regional government. "We are concerned about how they are connected to the aquifer system."

The case against Albemarle went nowhere. Albemarle did not respond to Reuters' request for comment, and SQM did not respond to Reuters' request for comment.

The Salar is one of a group of towns in the western part of Chile that is growing to one of the world's largest. This year, some 50,000 square miles of the Salar's desert are expected to be covered by electric vehicles by 2020.

In the Atacama, at least half the residents live on lithium-ion batteries. In the Salar, as well, there are four electric cars competing for space and electricity. Many of those who live in the Atacama don't have to worry about their jobs, and the town council has set aside money for a new energy store.

As of November, an estimated 2.5 million residents live in the Salar in the Andes, or the area where it is most heavily populated. The Salar is one of the poorest places in the world, with just over half of its residents living in poverty.

The Andes is also home to at least two of Albemarle's biggest operations: the Alcalim-Chilabou (Alcalim), and the Alcalim-Lava (