Page 4 - atd

A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 17 august 2022
U.S. West hit with water cuts but rebuffs call for deeper ones

By SAM METZ, SUMAN NAI- den on the agricultural in-
SHADHAM and KATHLEEN dustry, Arizona officials will
RONAYNE have to decide whether
Associated Press to spread this year's cut to
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — For growing cities that rely on
the second year in a row, the Colorado River, includ-
Arizona and Nevada will ing Scottsdale and Peoria.
face cuts in the amount The two cities get more
of water they can draw than half of their water
from the Colorado River from the Colorado.
as the West endures more The cuts are not expected
drought, federal officials to have a tangible effect
announced Tuesday. on Nevada, which has al-
The cuts planned for next ready implemented the re-
year will force states to gion's most aggressive con-
make critical decisions servation policies, including
about where to reduce grass bans and rebate pro-
consumption and whether grams.
to prioritize growing cities or Scorching temperatures
agricultural areas. Mexico and less melting snow in
will also face cuts. the spring have reduced
But those reductions rep- the amount of water flow-
resent just a fraction of the The Colorado River flows through the Grand Canyon on the Hualapai reservation Monday, Aug. ing from the Rocky Moun-
potential pain to come for 15, 2022, in northwestern Arizona. tains, where the river origi-
the 40 million Americans Associated Press nates before it snakes 1,450
in seven states that rely miles (2,334 kilometers)
on the river. Because the sure to plan for a hotter, For years, cities and farms the nation's largest man- southwest and into the Gulf
states failed to respond to drier future and a growing have diverted more water made reservoir, has plum- of California.
a federal ultimatum to fig- population. from the river than flows meted so low that it's cur- Already, extraordinary
ure out how to cut their wa- Touton has said the addi- through it, depleting its rently less than a quarter full steps have been taken this
ter use by at least 15%, they tional 15% reduction is nec- reservoirs and raising ques- and inching dangerously year to keep water in Lake
could face even deeper essary to ensure that water tions about how it will be close to a point where not Powell, the other large Col-
cuts that the government deliveries and hydroelec- divided as water becomes enough water would flow orado River reservoir, which
has said are needed to tric power are not disrupt- more scarce. to produce hydropowever sits upstream of Lake Mead
prevent reservoirs from fall- ed. She was noncommittal After more than two de- at the Hoover Dam on the and straddles the Arizona-
ing so low they cannot be on Tuesday about whether cades of drought, Arizona, Nevada-Arizona border. Utah border. Water from
pumped. she planned to impose Nevada and Mexico were For officials in Arizona, Cali- the lake runs through Glen
"The states collectively have those cuts unilaterally if the hit with mandatory cuts for fornia, Colorado, Nevada, Canyon Dam, which pro-
not identified and adopted states cannot reach agree- the first time last year. Some New Mexico, Utah and duces enough electricity
specific actions of sufficient ment. of the region's farmers have Wyoming, the cuts and to power between 1 million
magnitude that would sta- She emphasized partner- been paid to leave their the demand for additional and 1.5 million homes each
bilize the system," Bureau of ship between federal offi- fields fallow, while residents reductions present new year. After water levels at
Reclamation Commissioner cials and their counterparts of its growing cities have challenges and unpopu- Lake Powell reached lev-
Camille Touton said. in the seven states and been subjected to conser- lar choices. Officials have els low enough to threaten
Together, the missed dead- Mexico, but repeatedly vation measures such as re- been reluctant to propose hydropower production,
line and cuts place officials declined to say how much strictions on grass lawns. more draconian water ra- federal officials said they
responsible for providing time the states will have to But those efforts thus far tioning measures or limits would hold back some wa-
water to growing cities and reach the deal she request- haven't been enough. The on development. ter to ensure the dam could
farms under renewed pres- ed in June. water level at Lake Mead, After putting last year's bur- still produce energy.q

Immigration advocates sue LexisNexis over personal data

By KATHLEEN FOODY Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — Data sent. a $22 million contract be-
broker LexisNexis Risk Solu- The complaint also notes tween Immigration and
tions allegedly violated Illi- that LexisNexis' Accurint Customs Enforcement and
nois law by collecting and product, which is sold to LexisNexis for that product,
combining extensive per- law enforcement, incorpo- revealed in the results of
sonal information and sell- rates information that isn't a Freedom of Information
ing it to third parties includ- publicly available, includ- Act request. They argue
ing federal immigration ing correctional bookings, it poses a particular risk to
authorities, according to a vehicle collision records activists and immigrants.
lawsuit filed Tuesday by im- and license plate reader Sejal Zota, legal director at
migration advocates. databases. Just Futures Law and an at-
The result is "a grave threat A representative for Geor- torney on the lawsuit, said
to civil liberties," the activists gia-based LexisNexis Risk the data broker makes it
and two immigration advo- Solutions did not immedi- possible for ICE to "instantly
cacy groups argued. The ately reply to a request for access sensitive personal
lawsuit asks a Cook County comment shortly after the data — all without war-
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer looks judge to prevent the data lawsuit was filed. rants, subpoenas, any pri-
on during an operation in Escondido, Calif., July 8, 2019. broker from selling personal Immigration advocates vacy safeguards or any
Associated Press information without con- have called attention to show of reasonableness."q