Foreign companies face mounting criticism for using Arizona water to grow crops for export

PHOENIX – All through the week, we now have highlighted among the issues about Arizona’s water future, and within the western facet of the state, there’s at present rising frustration over a number of foreign-owned companies which have limitless entry to the state’s groundwater.

La Paz County is situated a bit greater than two hours outdoors of the Phoenix space. The county depends primarily on groundwater, and county residents cannot discover sufficient water.

“Water, for my part, means every thing to this county,” stated La Paz County Supervisor Holly Irwin.

Irwin has lived in La Paz County for almost 30 years, and he or she has spent about half that point as one of many county supervisors. She stated wells within the space lately started to dry up, and landowners are spending tens of 1000’s of {dollars} to dig their wells deeper and deeper, as a way to faucet into the groundwater under.

Whereas a lot of Arizona has guidelines in place to guard groundwater use, La Paz County is an exception. It’s one thing that Irwin believes makes the realm engaging to giant companies, Like Saudi-based Fondomonte.

“With none regulation, they will simply pump till the aquifer goes dry,” stated Irwin.

In 2014, Fondomonte bought 10,000 acres (about 4,046.86 hectares) of farmland in Vicksburg, which included unique rights to the water under. The corporate acknowledged they’re utilizing the land to develop alfalfa, a water-intensive crop, that might be was hay and shipped again to the Center East to feed a rising dairy enterprise.

Irwin does not consider the farm, in addition to different foreign-owned farms close by, are paying their fare share for the groundwater they’re utilizing, and he or she just isn’t alone.

“What’s taking place proper now in La Paz County, is an absolute steal,” stated Rep. Ruben Gallego (D). “They’re stealing this water, they usually’re doing so at a less expensive charge than a U.S. Firm can be doing proper now.”

Rep. Gallego has launched the Home Water Safety Act, which might impose a 300% excise tax on overseas companies who manufacture, produce or import water-intensive crops in areas of the U.S. which can be in the midst of a drought.

“What that does is it hopefully makes a few of these corporations notice that there isn’t a financial sense for them to do that,” stated Rep. Gallego.

Even when the invoice will get by means of Congress, it might solely be a drop within the bucket, as each Rep. Gallego and Irwin says it is as much as the state to make the primary transfer in defending Arizona’s water.

“It is time to safe and modernize Arizona’s water provide by higher conserving and managing our water, and upgrading our infrastructure,” stated Governor-elect Katie Hobbs.

Governor-elect Hobbs says the state’s looming water disaster might be a high precedence in her first days in workplace. She is promising to audit and examine any water deal between Arizona and the Saudi corporations who’re counting on the state’s water to develop their crops.

“It is time to maintain companies accountable who wish to give our water away to overseas governments like Saudi Arabia., as a result of we want that water right here for our households and companies,” stated Hobbs.