Hopi Lawsuit Against Wastewater Snowmaking Gets Green Light in Arizona

"The Arizona Supreme Court has greenlighted a lawsuit that the Hopi Tribe brought against the city of Flagstaff, Ariz. for selling wastewater to a local ski resort to make fake snow.

In a procedural victory, the tribe has won the right to proceed with its lawsuit challenging Flagstaff’s 2002 decision to sell reclaimed wastewater to the Arizona Snowbowl ski area, on claims that the wastewater snow creates a “public nuisance.”

The Arizona Court of Appeals last April had overturned a trial judge’s dismissal of the case in 2011. The city then asked the supreme court to review the appeals court ruling, but the petition was denied on Jan. 7."

Leslie Macmillan reports for High Country News January 16, 2014.