Water ... Michigan USA
Company ... Nestle

Michigan residents deplore plan to let Nestlé pump water for next to nothing,

Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

Michigan residents deplore plan to let Nestlé pump water for next to nothing In a state still reeling from the Flint crisis the Swiss company would get nearly free access to pump 210m gallons a year for its bottled water business

Nestlé headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland

Nestlé HQ in Vevey, Switzerland. ‘Why on earth would the state of Michigan … even consider giving MORE water for little or no cost to a foreign corporation with annual profits in the billions?’ Photograph: Laurent Gillieron/AP

Michigan regulators were deluged with angry comments this week, after reports that the state had drafted a permit approval for Nestlé to nearly double the amount of groundwater it pumps from a plant in Evart, Michigan to 210m gallons a year.

The pumping increase is only expected to cost the Swiss food giant $200 a year, and possibly the price of a permit fee, because its bottling plant in Evart is considered a private well under state law, regulators said.

In a statement, Nestlé touted the move as a boon to the state because it is created “some 20 new jobs”. The company is valued at $219bn.

Some local residents were not so enthusiastic.

“Why on earth would the state of Michigan, given our lack of money to address water matters of our own, like Flint, even consider giving MORE water for little or no cost to a foreign corporation with annual profits in the billions?” a man from Ada, Michigan wrote to regulators, who provided the message and others to the Guardian.

“Please do not attempt to justify giving away our resources for the ‘benefit’ of Nestlé adding 20 more jobs.”

The Nestlé plant at Evart is just 120 miles from Flint, where a recent move by public officials to save money by switching water sources caused lead to contaminate the city’s water.

Flint’s water is still not safe to drink without a filter and health have officials said bacterial illnesses are on the rise because residents fear bathing. Flint’s mayor is still lobbying Congress for cash to fix the city’s pipes.

“Please, please, please reconsider allowing Nestlé to pump additional gallons of water from their facility near Evart,” wrote a woman who identified herself as being from Newaygo, Michigan. “The rape of our Michigan inland fresh water sources is a cause for concern, especially when it is done by a private company for profit.”

Another commenter told regulators Nestlé “could literally suck the life out of the state”.

The company’s proposal to increase pumping from 150 gallons a minute to 400 gallons a minute from an aquifer underneath the plant is part of a planned $36m expansion of bottled water operations in Stanwood, Michigan. The company has already increased pumping to 250 gallons per minute, an increase for which no permit was required.

The additional water will be bottled under the Ice Mountain and Pure Life brands and distributed “throughout Michigan and the midwest”, according to a press release.

The company was sued by residents more than a decade ago, over a nearly identical permit.

In that case, Nestlé pumped 400 gallons of water per minute from a plant 30 miles south in Mecosta, Michigan. That rate is equal to around 576,000 gallons per day and 210 gallons per year. For a sense of scale, one million gallons is roughly the equivalent of a 267ft long, 50ft wide and 10ft deep swimming pool, according to the US Geological Survey.

In 2009, a settlement allowed Nestlé to pump 218 gallons of water a minute.

The lawyer who represented plaintiffs in that case, Jim Olson, criticized regulators for not giving the public more notice of the new proposal.

“We’ve seen an erosion of public notices and more internal official decisions,” Olson said. “That’s at the heart of the Flint water crisis, and now we have the same kind of institutionalized expediency here.”

Michigan Live reported that the plan was first published by the Michigan department of environmental quality (MDEQ) last month, as part of its permit calendar. On Thursday, MDEQ officials extended the public comment period by 30 days and planned a public hearing.

A spokesperson for Nestlé Water North America, Christopher Rieck, said: “We appreciate that some people may have concerns … sustainability and water quality are top priorities for us as well.

“We are deepening our investment in Michigan to meet growing consumer demand. As we do so, we are committed to an open, transparent process that allows the public to share their views and learn more about our operations.”

More news Topics Michigan Nestlé Water Food & drink industry

Nestle bottled water operations spark protests amid California drought Read more

Water protection laws won't change until 2017 despite Flint crisis Read more

Gmail Peter Burgess
re: Nestlé
Angus Wong, SumOfUs.org
Wed, Nov 30, 2016 at 6:20 PM
To: Peter Burgess

Just 120 miles from the Flint, MI water crisis, Nestlé wants to suck up another 100M gallons of groundwater for $200 and 20 jobs.

How can Michigan hand over its water for pennies so a giant corporation can profit? Tell the water authority to reject this ridiculous deal.

Peter,

Only miles away from Flint, Michigan -- where the government switched the water supply and poisoned the community's water to save a few bucks -- the Michigan water authority is considering letting Nestlé double the amount of groundwater it takes to bottle and sell for profit.

The cost to Nestlé? $200 a year. Tell Michigan’s Department of Environmental Quality to cancel this ridiculous plan.

Residents are furious, and rightly so. This is a massive corporate giveaway.

Nestlé is already the largest owner of private water sources in Michigan, and the water-guzzling corporation has deep ties to Governor Rick Snyder’s office. Deb Muchmore, the head spokesperson for Nestlé Michigan, is married to Governor Snyder’s former chief of staff. Perhaps we should stop wondering why Nestlé keeps getting so much from the state government for so little.

Luckily Michigan water regulators haven't made a final decision yet -- and we still have time to raise a huge outcry and pressure them to back down. What's more, the pressure is working -- after public pressure earlier in November, the Department of Environmental Quality promised to hold a public hearing and accept public comments on the project.

No one fights Nestlé’s greedy water grabs like SumOfUs members. Just last summer, the corporate giant was taking millions of gallons of water from Canada’s western water table for pennies, while wildfires threatened the entire coast. Hundreds of thousands of us stood up and said: “NO!” We made front page news in Canada and got the government to commit to review water rates. And we’ve helped do the same in California and in Oregon -- where the tiny county of Hood River stopped Nestlé in its tracks.

Tell the State of Michigan to say no to this massive corporate giveaway. Stop Nestlé now.

Thanks for all that you do,

Angus, Liz, Toni and the rest of the SumOfUs team

********** More information:

Michigan residents deplore plan to let Nestlé pump water for next to nothing, The Guardian, Nov 5, 2016 DEQ pushes Nestle groundwater bid public review into next year, Michigan Live, Nov 22, 2016 SumOfUs is a worldwide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy. Please help keep SumOfUs strong by chipping in $3 or become a SumOfUs core member with a regular monthly donation. Set up a monthly donation Chip in $3 instead This email was sent to peterbnyc@gmail.com. | Unsubscribe