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Ridgecrest Daily Independent
Searles Valley Minerals will not have water service shut off for non-payment of fees . at least not yet.
An Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority special hearing Thursday on SVM s failure to pay the $2,130 per acre-foot replenishment fee was continued to the authority s June regular meeting so the GA could investigate SVM’s claim that cutting the company’s water supply would take down service to every house, business and school in Trona as collateral damage. If you cut off the water supply to Searles, two things will happen. One is Searles will go out of business, said Jeff Dunn, special counsel to SVM. And if it goes out of business it will never be able to pay your replenishment assessment.
‘SVM launches ‘Save Searles’ website [The Daily Independent, Ridgecrest, Calif.]
Dec. 16 Searles Valley Minerals on Friday, Dec. 11 launched a new website at www.savesearles.com, according to a news release from the company.
The website represents SVM’s latest move in opposition to the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority’s proposed replenishment fee, which SVM in the release claims would have “devastating economic impacts.”
The release describes the website as “a resource to learn more about the proposed ‘replenishment fee’ and sign up to receive email updates on the campaign.”
“Save Searles” opposes the IWVGA’s replenishment fee, claiming it “taps a few local businesses and residents to pay for the Authority’s rushed and costly Groundwater Sustainability Plan . . . during one of our country’s worst economic times,” according to the release.