Ridgecrest Daily Independent
The fate of Searles Valley Minerals and Mojave Pistachios at least in terms of water may be decided at the groundwater authority meeting Wednesday.
The regular meeting is set for no earlier than 11 a.m. Wednesday. Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority officials will discuss how to respond to both companies failure to pay the IWVGA’s replenishment fee.
The topic will be discussed at two public hearings, but the meeting will be virtual, meaning the public cannot attend in person and participation has to take place via phone, email or letters.
Cutting off water service is one possible outcome for either or both of the companies, but not the only possibility. The IWVGA can also consider other options short of a cease and desist order, such as assessing penalties or pursuing unpaid fees in court.
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.