Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes filed a lawsuit against a Saudi Arabian-backed company on Tuesday, alleging that its “excessive groundwater pumping” violates state law.
Mayes filed this lawsuit against Fondomonte Arizona, LLC, in Maricopa County Superior Court.
The filing alleges that this LLC did not follow Arizona’s public nuisance law because it took too much groundwater from the Ranegras Plain Basin in La Paz County. According to the press release, a violation of the public nuisance law threatens a community’s “public health, safety, and infrastructure.”
Arizona’s complaint alleges that the “Fondomonte’s actions have had widespread effects, including declining groundwater levels and escalating land subsidence – harming everyone reliant on the Basin for water.”
“Fondomonte’s unsustainable groundwater pumping has caused devastating consequences for the Ranegras Plain Basin, putting the health and future of the residents of La Paz County at risk,” said Mayes. “Arizona law is clear: no company has the right to endanger an entire community’s health and safety for its own gain.”
Furthermore, the lawsuit accuses the Saudi-backed LLC of extracting “extraordinary amounts of groundwater” since 2014 to grow alfalfa sent to the Middle Eastern country.
Arizona alleges that Fondomonte extracting groundwater is depleting the water reserve in the Ranegras Plain Basin.
The press release says that Arizona seeks a court order to “declare Fondomonte’s activities a public nuisance, enjoin the company from further excessive groundwater pumping, and require the establishment of an abatement fund.”
In March, Fondomonte stopped extracting water from Arizona.
“I’m not afraid to hold people accountable, maximize value for the state land trust, and protect Arizona’s water security,” said Governor Katie Hobbs in March. “I am proud to deliver this not just for the La Paz County community, but for the entire state of Arizona, and will continue taking decisive action to protect Arizona’s water so we can thrive for generations to come.”
Arizona struggles with water resources. According to arizonawaterfacts.com, the Colorado River, which supplies 36 percent of the state’s water, is experiencing “excessive drought.”
