PHOENIX (AP) — The state of Arizona has revoked permits to drill two wells at a Saudi-owned Alfalfa farm in the western part of the state after officials said they found discrepancies in the company’s application for the wells. rice field.
This week, Attorney General Chris Mays told her office that there were discrepancies in a new well application for Fondmonte Arizona LLC, which uses sprinklers to grow alfalfa in La Paz County and exports it to Saudi Arabia as feed for dairy cattle. said to have clarified. The company does not pay for the water it uses.
When Mays informed state officials of the discrepancies in the application, they agreed to revoke the permit, which was approved in August.
AZ Family.com New wells reported pumping up to 3,000 gallons (11,000 liters) of water per minute. Her average family of four in Phoenix uses about 17,000 gallons (64,000 liters) of water per month. In other words, the two new wells pumped as much as her family of four uses in a month in just three of her minutes.
Some of the large corporate farms in western and southeastern Arizona have been criticized for using too much water as the southwestern United States is hit by a severe drought.
In some cases, neighbors have complained that nearby wells are drying up because company farms are using so much water. Additionally, Arizona faces the potential loss of significant amounts of water from the Colorado River as the federal government announces new actions to address declining water levels in Lake Powell and Lake Mead.
“We know from anecdotal evidence that wells are being dehydrated by these large farming operations. We know the land is sinking. You can do that,” says Mayes. “There are existing laws that he doesn’t believe are being followed.”
In the past, La Paz County leaders have expressed concern about Middle Eastern companies moving into the state to grow alfalfa. It will be shipped overseas. They say the companies are using Arizona’s groundwater laws to allow farms to pump as much water as they need during droughts. I’m here.
