Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Ag Giant Wonderful Sues Fresno County Over Assemi Nut Plant
David Website Replacement
By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 5 years ago on
December 6, 2019

Share

One of the world’s largest pistachio growers is suing Fresno County, alleging that it violated state environmental review regulations.
The suit seeks to halt a nut processing plant being built by the Assemi family in the western part of the county.
Wonderful Nut Orchards LLC filed the suit Tuesday in Fresno County Superior Court, listing the county and the county Public Works and Planning Department as defendants. Wonderful says the county issued construction permits counter to the California Environmental Quality Act — commonly called CEQA — to four entities under the same corporate umbrella involving the Assemi Group, Inc.
Darius Assemi, a partner in the pistachio enterprise, is the publisher of GV Wire.
Jennifer Reisz, general counsel for Maricopa Orchards, which is an Assemi company, said Thursday that the lawsuit is without merit.
“We believe we have done all the necessary environmental reviews for the plant,” Reisz said.
A spokesman for the county said Thursday that it had yet to be served with the lawsuit.

Lawsuit Accusations

Wonderful says the county did not properly undergo CEQA reviews on the project as a whole— the parties officially listed as Ventana South, LLC, Highway 33 Pistachios, Assemi Brothers, LLC, and the Assemi Group, Inc.
The project is on West Kamm Avenue between Interstate 5 and Highway 33, approximately 20 miles south of Mendota. According to the lawsuit, Ventana plans to build the “world’s single largest pistachio processing facility.” It includes a processing building, truck dock, cold storage building, and administration facility.
Additionally, Wonderful accuses the Assemis of starting construction on silos there without proper permitting. The county issued a stop-work order for the silos on Oct. 28, following complaints from Wonderful.
In the same letter that the county wrote to Wonderful’s attorneys regarding the stop-work order, the county said the property owner was entitled to have farm buildings.
Both instances violate not only CEQA but county zoning codes as well, the lawsuit alleges.

A map of the pistachio processing plant at the center of a lawsuit (Map: Alexis DeSha)

Wonderful’s Response

Wonderful is asking the court to require the county to refrain from issuing further permits until an environmental review is completed and rescind some of the permits issued. Wonderful also is seeking a restraining order or injunction preventing the county from authorizing additional permits until the environmental review is completed and the structures are removed. It additionally asks to be compensated for the costs of the lawsuit.
The Wonderful Company issued the following statement:

“Everyone who cares about protecting our region’s environment should be concerned that Ventana is now violating the California Environment Quality Act as well as County of Fresno planning laws. Ventana has already started construction on a major new commercial pistachio processing plant even though no environmental review has been conducted and no planning approvals issued. We are asking the County of Fresno to order Ventana to halt its construction activities of the commercial processing plant immediately. We ask the County to ensure that Ventana follows all laws and that the County adhere to the California Environmental Quality Act by completing the required environmental review of the project.”

No court date has been set.

Assemis Sued Wonderful Earlier This Year

The Assemis filed a lawsuit against Wonderful Pistachios earlier this year. In that suit, the plaintiffs allege that the company owned by Stewart and Lynda Resnick failed to pay a contractual 30% bonus for pistachios provided by the Assemis in 2018.
The lawsuit alleges that Wonderful balked at paying the Assemis a bonus because they would no longer be growing pistachios for Wonderful.

Read the Wonderful Nut Orchards Lawsuit



DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Hey PG&E Customers, Get Ready for New ‘Transaction Fees’

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Ending ‘Squaw Valley’ Fight After Latest Court Ruling

DON'T MISS

Exclusive: Tesla to Delay US Launch of Affordable EV, a Lower-Cost Model Y, Sources Say

DON'T MISS

Clovis Reconsiders Recycling Vote. Will a Campaign Contribution Matter?

DON'T MISS

Gov. Newsom Offers $50K Reward in 2022 Kings County Homicide

DON'T MISS

Trump’s White House Launches COVID Website That Criticizes WHO, Fauci and Biden

DON'T MISS

Fresno ‘Powers Up’ the Nation’s Largest Combined Solar and Battery Storage Project

DON'T MISS

Trump Admin Asserts COVID-19 Originated in Chinese Lab, Targets Fauci

DON'T MISS

Vendors Back at Fresno’s Art Hop? Survey Wants to Know What You Think

DON'T MISS

Russian Missile Attack Kills One, Wounds 112 in Ukraine’s Kharkiv, Officials Say

UP NEXT

Fresno County Ending ‘Squaw Valley’ Fight After Latest Court Ruling

UP NEXT

Exclusive: Tesla to Delay US Launch of Affordable EV, a Lower-Cost Model Y, Sources Say

UP NEXT

Gov. Newsom Offers $50K Reward in 2022 Kings County Homicide

UP NEXT

Trump’s White House Launches COVID Website That Criticizes WHO, Fauci and Biden

UP NEXT

Fresno ‘Powers Up’ the Nation’s Largest Combined Solar and Battery Storage Project

UP NEXT

Trump Admin Asserts COVID-19 Originated in Chinese Lab, Targets Fauci

UP NEXT

Vendors Back at Fresno’s Art Hop? Survey Wants to Know What You Think

UP NEXT

Russian Missile Attack Kills One, Wounds 112 in Ukraine’s Kharkiv, Officials Say

UP NEXT

Iran Says Nuclear Deal Is Possible if Washington Is Realistic

UP NEXT

49ers Look to Strengthen Depleted Defense in NFL Draft

David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

Clovis Reconsiders Recycling Vote. Will a Campaign Contribution Matter?

10 hours ago

Gov. Newsom Offers $50K Reward in 2022 Kings County Homicide

10 hours ago

Trump’s White House Launches COVID Website That Criticizes WHO, Fauci and Biden

11 hours ago

Fresno ‘Powers Up’ the Nation’s Largest Combined Solar and Battery Storage Project

11 hours ago

Trump Admin Asserts COVID-19 Originated in Chinese Lab, Targets Fauci

12 hours ago

Vendors Back at Fresno’s Art Hop? Survey Wants to Know What You Think

12 hours ago

Russian Missile Attack Kills One, Wounds 112 in Ukraine’s Kharkiv, Officials Say

12 hours ago

Iran Says Nuclear Deal Is Possible if Washington Is Realistic

12 hours ago

49ers Look to Strengthen Depleted Defense in NFL Draft

13 hours ago

Habit Burger & Grill Quietly Drops Impossible Burger From Menu

13 hours ago

Hey PG&E Customers, Get Ready for New ‘Transaction Fees’

Pacific Gas & Electric customers are already paying some of the nation’s highest rates for electricity, and their bills could be g...

9 hours ago

9 hours ago

Hey PG&E Customers, Get Ready for New ‘Transaction Fees’

9 hours ago

Fresno County Ending ‘Squaw Valley’ Fight After Latest Court Ruling

Tesla Inc. vehicle facility is pictured in Costa Mesa, California, U.S., November 1, 2023. (REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo)
9 hours ago

Exclusive: Tesla to Delay US Launch of Affordable EV, a Lower-Cost Model Y, Sources Say

10 hours ago

Clovis Reconsiders Recycling Vote. Will a Campaign Contribution Matter?

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a press conference in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. Newsom vetoed a landmark bill aimed at establishing first-in-the-nation safety measures for large artificial intelligence models Sunday, Sept. 29. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer, File)
10 hours ago

Gov. Newsom Offers $50K Reward in 2022 Kings County Homicide

The logo of the World Health Organization is seen at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, January 28, 2025. (REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo)
11 hours ago

Trump’s White House Launches COVID Website That Criticizes WHO, Fauci and Biden

11 hours ago

Fresno ‘Powers Up’ the Nation’s Largest Combined Solar and Battery Storage Project

12 hours ago

Trump Admin Asserts COVID-19 Originated in Chinese Lab, Targets Fauci

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend