An investigation by the governor's office found that the Saudi Arabian-owned farm had violated some of its lease terms.
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said this week her administration is terminating state land leases that for years have given a Saudi-owned farm nearly unfettered access to pump groundwater in the
Fondomonte Arizona, a subsidiary of Saudi dairy giant Almarai Co., grows alfalfa in Arizona that feeds livestock in the water-stressed Gulf kingdom. CBS Newsthat alfalfa is illegal to grow in Saudi Arabia because of how much water it takes to grow the crop. The violations the governor's office detailed relate to the company's storage of hazardous materials, among other issues. On Monday, Hobbs' office said that Fondomonte was notified of the violations in 2016, but an investigation in August found the company had not fixed the problem seven years later. That gave Arizona's State Land Department grounds to terminate the lease.
In Arizona, cities such as Phoenix and Tucson have restrictions on how much groundwater they can pump under a 1980 state law aimed at protecting the state's aquifers. But in rural areas, little is required of water users to pump from underground aquifers besides registering wells with the state and using the water for activities, including farming, that are deemed a"beneficial use.". Those operations have attracted less scrutiny.
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Arizona ends water lease with Fondomonte, Saudi Arabia-owned farmGovernor Katie Hobbs has announced the termination of a groundwater lease for a Saudi-based company that operates an alfalfa farming operation in La Paz County. The company does not pay for the water it uses.
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Arizona terminates lease with Saudi farm, inspects several othersThe state terminated its lease with a Middle Eastern company operating a farm in Western Arizona.
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Arizona to cancel leases allowing Saudi-owned farm access to state's groundwaterArizona governor Katie Hobbs said this week her administration is terminating land leases...
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Arizona to cancel leases allowing Saudi-owned farm access to state's groundwaterArizona governor Katie Hobbs said this week her administration is terminating state land leases that for years have given a Saudi-owned farm nearly...
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