Attorneys for a Saudi-owned alfalfa farm want a judge to toss a bid by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes to halt its pumping of groundwater. The lawyers say her lawsuit against the company Fondomonte is illegal.
Last year, Mayes sued Fondomonte, claiming its pumping of rural groundwater goes against public nuisance laws.
But the company’s lawyers claim that lawsuit ignores a state law which says agricultural operations conducted with good practices are presumed to be reasonable and do not constitute a nuisance.
That is unless the farm has a substantial adverse effect on public health and safety.
Arizona has cancelled land leases held by Fondomonte, but it still is able to farm in other private land areas. The outcome of the lawsuit could impact how farms use groundwater in rural parts of the state.
-
The head of the federal agency that oversees water-sharing agreements between the U.S. and Mexico was pushed to resign this week by the Trump administration. -
Does water have a flavor? You may think water’s ideal taste is neutral — and if you notice, say, an earthy aroma, you might be concerned. -
The Arizona Board of Regents has approved no-cost extensions for three Regents’ Research Grants, focused on finding solutions to a few of the state’s big problems. -
After more than 25 years of cleanup, the state Department of Environmental Quality recently announced that the groundwater and soil at a site in central Phoenix is officially considered safe. -
Earlier this year, Chandler city officials told residents that a part of their property taxes has been going down the drain — just not theirs.
