Yuma County says state, not county, oversees biosolids operation east of city

Yuma County says the fight over the biosolids site east of Yuma has always belonged to state agencies, not county government, even as nearby residents have complained for years about odors, flies, dust and debris.

Supervisor Jonathan Lines said the county never had jurisdiction over the long-running operation on State Trust Land east of the city. The county says Arizona law gives primary authority to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality for biosolids permitting, to the Arizona State Land Department for leasing, and to state agencies for environmental enforcement. That means the county can press for action, but cannot unilaterally shut down or move the operation.

The county’s own biosolids information says the activity in southern Yuma County predates the current Board of Supervisors by more than 40 years, underscoring how long the dispute has been building. County officials have said they have spent years handling complaints about odors, flies, dust, debris, quality-of-life impacts, enforcement standards and long-term community effects, even though the formal authority sits elsewhere.

In December 2025, Yuma County sent a letter to the Arizona State Land Department asking that AG Tech LLC’s lease be terminated. County officials later said the company’s operations were tied to persistent odors, severe fly infestations, dust and debris. They also said local date growers reported crop losses amounting to millions of dollars each year that they attribute to conditions aggravated by biosolids application.

County Vector Control inspected the land and did not find active fly breeding sites during that visit, according to reporting cited by the county. The land itself is owned by the Arizona State Land Department, while ADEQ is responsible for biosolids oversight, creating a split system that has left residents caught between county complaints and state control.

Yuma County said it planned to take up the issue at its next Board of Supervisors meeting on Monday, April 6, 2026, at 9 a.m. at the Yuma County Auditorium on Main Street. The county also said residents could sign up for public comment. At the same time, it said it had pursued legislative advocacy, coordinated with state agencies, conducted inspections within its authority, supported monitoring efforts and asked state leaders, including the governor, to intervene.

The policy backdrop is still shifting. Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s current biosolids general permit took effect June 30, 2022, and Arizona Legislature records show SB 1212, a 2025 biosolids bill, addressed land application, immunity and use on state lands under agricultural leases. A legislative summary said it would exempt the commissioner, ADEQ, the State Land Trust, the state and counties from certain liabilities or damages if compliance requirements were met.

For Yuma County, the central question remains unchanged: if the county says it never had the authority, then state agencies must answer for who regulates the site, who enforces the rules and who resolves the complaints that have lingered for decades east of Yuma.