1. United States
2. Ariz.
3. Letter

I'm asking you to veto HB2055, which would dedicate state money to brackish groundwater recovery projects. This bill treats a non-renewable resource as a solution to Arizona's water crisis. The brackish water targeted by this legislation sits nearly a quarter-mile below the surface. At that depth, it's essentially non-renewable. Pumping it produces toxic brine as a byproduct, creating a waste problem we'll be dealing with for generations. Arizona faces real water challenges from prolonged drought, the drying Colorado River, increased demand, and climate change, but drilling deeper for groundwater that won't replenish itself isn't the answer. HB2055, sponsored by Gail Griffin, would commit state funds to a technology that depletes our aquifers permanently while generating hazardous waste. We need water solutions that don't mortgage our future. Veto this bill.