via @arizonamirror

If #Hobbs is serious about protecting #groundwater, she must work to close the #mining loophole

by Russ McSpadden
February 12, 2024

"In her first State of the State address just over a year ago, Gov. #KatieHobbs was unequivocal about her commitment to tackling one of the state’s greatest challenges: our dwindling #water supply.

“Our groundwater should be used to support #Arizonans, not foreign business interests,” she said in that speech, referring to the Saudi Arabian conglomerate #Fondomonte. Over the past few years, Fondomonte has been pumping unlimited amounts of groundwater in La Paz County for alfalfa crops that it ships to feed cows on the other side of the earth.

"Though the Hobbs administration has already canceled one of Fondomonte’s four leases and says it won’t renew the others when they’re up this month, the problem doesn’t end with Saudi agriculture.

"It’s also mining companies that take advantage of loopholes in the state’s water laws to maximize profit at the expense of Arizonans — including mining giants #RioTinto and# BHP.

"Because of intense pressure from #lobbyists, when lawmakers adopted the much-heralded #ArizonaGroundwaterManagementAct in 1980 they exempted #mines from groundwater regulation, even when located in #ActiveManagement Areas — state-designated areas where groundwater pumping is controlled. That means that mines can pump unlimited amounts of water without paying the state a dime.

"This exemption was controversial in 1980. Today it’s existentially dangerous.

#ResolutionCopper, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto and BHP, is a perfect example. Their proposed mine at #OakFlat — about 70 miles east of #Phoenix in the #TontoNationalForest and within the Phoenix Active Management Area — would pump 250 billion gallons of desert groundwater over the life of the project.

"That’s 17 million gallons of water every day for four decades.

"Under current water prices, that equates to $404 million worth of groundwater that Resolution Copper will get for free. Arizona won’t see a cent for it. And it’s more than likely that the copper ore from Oak Flat will be exported to China for smelting, again depriving local communities of economic benefit.

"This limitless pumping would happen even as the #megadrought that has plagued the #AmericanSouthwest for the past two decades is likely to worsen, straining the #ColoradoRiver and #Gila rivers even more and making us all more reliant on groundwater aquifers.

"If left intact, the mining loophole will facilitate construction of Resolution’s massive mine. The extreme water pumping from the #EastSaltRiverValley will lead to groundwater depletion and subsidence, threatening to deplete wells and damage infrastructure.

"The #CenterForBiologicalDiversity, where I work, has been fighting for decades to stop this mine, and Canadian mining company Hudbay’s disastrous plan to mine for copper in the #SantaRita Mountains south of #Tucson (in the Tucson Active Management Area).

"Both projects would devastate surrounding fragile #ecosystems, pushing endangered species like the #MexicanSpottedOwl closer to the brink of #extinction. They would also destroy sacred #TribalLands and gulp down massive amounts of water when other users are being asked to conserve.

"Handing mines unlimited access to Arizona’s precious desert groundwater would be an injustice to Arizona’s #Tribes and every resident of this state.

"Fortunately, Hobbs has the vision and courage to fight for a secure water future for Arizona. It is time for her to work with legislators to close the mining loophole in Arizona water law and subject mines to the same groundwater pumping limits that apply to other entities within the state’s Active Management Areas.

"We’re hopeful she will work to block #ResolutionCopperMine and other terrible mining projects like #Hudbay’s. At the very least, it’s time for mining giants to pay for the water they use just like the rest of us."

https://azmirror.com/2024/02/12/if-hobbs-is-serious-about-protecting-groundwater-she-must-work-to-close-the-mining-loophole/

The top 10 most impactful #weather events of 2023

From powerful #hurricanes and #tornadoes to drought-busting storms and the deadliest #wildfire in the US in a century, here is a look back at the most unforgettable weather events of 2023.

By Monica Danielle, AccuWeather senior producer

Published Dec 26, 2023

1. Record-breaking January tornado outbreak

In a month typically clocking inches of snow, there were a whopping 168 tornadoes reported over two outbreaks, more than triple the historical average for January, setting a new record for the month.

An outbreak on January 12 produced 70 tornado reports across seven states. This date included two EF3 tornadoes that resulted in at least 9 deaths and 34 injuries across #Alabama and #Georgia. An EF2 tornado also caused devastation in the historic city of #SelmaAlabama, about 40 miles west of Montgomery.

2. Violent EF4 tornado rips through #Mississippi, killing 17

On March 24, two dozen twisters touched down across the Southeast, including the deadliest and one of the year’s most violent tornadoes. The EF4 tornado ripped through #Rolling ForkMississippi, and claimed the lives of 17 people, including a couple killed by a large semi-truck that was tossed into their home.

3. The most notable tornado outbreak of the year

The most notable tornado outbreak of 2023 was the deadly and now historic outbreak that impacted large portions of the Midwest, South, and East U.S. on March 31 and April 1. The year's second and final EF4 tornado was one of 122 twisters reported across multiple states. AccuWeather's own storm tracker and meteorologist, Tony Laubach, captured incredible footage of one of the strongest tornadoes of the year when he intercepted the twister in southeast #Iowa near the city of #Ottumwa.

4. Drought-busting #AtmosphericRivers unload record-breaking #snow

Coming into 2023, drought was a major concern for #California and other parts of the West. "This is a #megadrought," California Governor Gavin Newsom said. "Some scientists argue it's the most significant in 1200 years of human history." But it wouldn't be long until the #drought was wiped out completely.

5. Smoke from #Canada's worst-ever wildfire season blankets US cities

Canada experienced its worst wildfire season on record, obliterating all other years in terms of area burned. Over the course of the fire season, flames scorched an estimated 18.4 million hectares—an area roughly the size of North Dakota. According to NASA, on average, just 2.5 million hectares burn in Canada each year.

6. Deadliest US wildfire in more than a century sweeps through #Maui, #Hawaii

The wildfire that ignited in Maui on August 8 was the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century, killing at least 106 people and all but incinerating #Lahaina, destroying every building in the town of 13,000.

7. #HurricaneIdalia slams #Florida's Nature Coast

The above-normal 2023 Atlantic hurricane season was characterized by record-warm #AtlanticSeaSurfaceTemperatures and a strong #ElNiño. A total of 20 storms were named in 2023, along with a tropical depression and an unnamed subtropical storm. This ranks fourth for the most-named storms in a year since 1950 and the most on record during an El Niño-influenced season. Seven storms were hurricanes, three intensifying to major #hurricanes.

8. #HurricaneLee stirs up rough surf, and dangerous rip currents along East Coast

Before making landfall in far western #NovaScotia, Hurricane Lee caused dangerous surf and rip currents along the Atlantic Coast of the United States. Lee claimed two victims, a 51-year-old man who was killed by a falling tree branch in #Maine and a teenager who drowned off the coast of Florida amid rough seas churned up by the hurricane. The monstrous storm cut power to more than 280,000 electric customers across Maine, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick as it roared ashore.

9. The hottest year in recorded history

Six record-breaking months and two seasons – summer and autumn – were recorded in 2023, making it the hottest year ever recorded.

10. El Niño nears historic strength

The global weather phenomenon El Niño, in which surface waters are abnormally warm in the eastern tropical Pacific, was a major player in many of the top weather events in 2023. The major shift to El Niño following three years of La Niña, could evolve into one of the strongest El Niño events observed over the past 75 years, new data shows.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/the-top-10-most-impactful-weather-events-of-2023/1603146