by Cameron Arcand
Arizona officials have taken some of the first steps to bring seawater from the Mexican coast to the faucets of Phoenix, even if lawmakers want a more deliberative process.
Arizona’s Joint Legislative Water Committee held a public meeting on Tuesday to discuss the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority’s push to create a desalination plant amid the state’s water crisis.
Before the meeting, the WIFA board met and discussed a request from the Israeli company IDE Technologies for financing the project on the Sea of Cortez.
According to ABC 15, the proposal seeks to build a large desalination plant – which removes the salt from seawater in an energy-intensive process – and move that water to the Central Arizona Project Canal for consumption. Multiple sources report WIFA approved their staff to begin conversations with IDE.
Both Republicans and Democrats on the legislative committee said their concern does not have much to do with the project itself but rather the process.
‘I know that my comments may be stern, it comes from not in judgment of this project, but in judgment of the process and the lack of transparency,” Sen. Lisa Otondo, D-Yuma, said.
The hearing comes after there was expressed concern that there would not be enough opportunity for public input and questions from legislators.
“The Legislature has learned of a rushed movement by the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority to provide preliminary approval of a large expenditure of taxpayer dollars on a desalination plant proposal without an appropriate opportunity for public discussion and comment,” Kim Quintero, senate Republican director of communications, said in an email statement last week.
“There is certainly value in the mentioned proposal, but we are concerned about the process of this approval,” she added.
According to the Arizona Capitol Times, the project also needs the green light from the federal government. The outlet’s assistant editor, Wayne Schutsky, tweeted Tuesday that the plant would be entirely private, but WIFA would buy water under the current proposal, as they are being asked to contribute $750 million.
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Cameron Arcand is a contributor to The Center Square.
Photo “Sea of Cortez” by Wonderlane. CC BY 2.0.
