Attorney General's Office Files Lawsuit Against Fiesta Canning for Air and Water Quality Violations

(Phoenix, Ariz. – March 8, 2006) Attorney General Terry Goddard today said his office has filed a lawsuit against Fiesta Canning Co., Inc., a southern Arizona vegetable processing and canning facility, for air, drinking water and wastewater violations.

Fiesta Canning, located near Bisbee, has a history of noncompliance with Arizona’s air and water quality regulations. The violations range from operating fuel-burning equipment without an air quality permit to discharging wastewater containing pollutants on the land without an aquifer protection permit. In recent years, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has negotiated resolutions to some of the violations, but Fiesta Canning failed to follow through with the actions needed to correct them.

“Fiesta Canning has been given every opportunity to correct these problems, and its failure to comply is unacceptable,” Goddard said.

In addition to civil penalties, the state is seeking injunctive relief and the payment of previously imposed air quality fines and administrative fees. The lawsuit was filed in Maricopa County Superior Court.

Complaint660.96 KB