The Saudi Arabian-backed company Fondomonte Arizona is officially no longer using the state's water resources.
According to the governor's office, the State Land Department inspected the company's land leases in western Arizona's Butler Valley on Feb. 15, which determined that it was no longer irrigating. The company was estimated to have pumped over 5.3 billion gallons of groundwater in 2022, according to Arizona's Family.
The Arizona Attorney General's Office worked closely with Governor Hobbs' administration on these inspections, which confirmed what we have suspected – Fondomonte has been in violation of its leases for many years," Attorney General Kris Mayes said in a statement at the time.
"And while today's announcement is commendable, it should have been taken by state government much earlier. The failure to act sooner underscores the need for greater oversight and accountability in the management of our state's most vital resource," Mayes continued.
However, the office said that the company has a pending appeal in court for the cancellations, even though the agreements ended on Feb. 14.
