As if the Great Lakes State’s water scene wasn’t tenuous enough, enter Nestle- the evil giant who is buying 100 million gallons of their most precious natural resource. Michigan has the most freshwater of any state in the union, with over 40,000 square miles. The more damage we do to our planet, the more important this vital to all life resource becomes. So, one would think that leaders in Michigan feel some responsibility to protect the lakes, but sadly, it seems they don’t.

Activists say Nestle is abusing its rights to a private well, just over seven years after several long, hard-fought court battles (costing more than $1 million) ended in a landmark settlement that may soon become useless.

From the article:

“According to a recent petition from the website SumofUs.org, the Nestlé plan involves the expansion of its water-bottling lines in Mecosta County, MI — just 120 miles from Flint, where the city’s infamous water crisis is still a problem, in the city of Evart.

The plan calls for Nestlé to increase its groundwater withdrawals by more than 2 ½ times, from about 150 gallons per minute to 400 gallons per minute, at White Pine Springs Well #101 in Osceola County.”

And the worst part (yep there’s a worst part) is that Nestlé, the owner of the largest private water stash in the state, will only pay $200 a year and that includes the massive increase in water pumping.

Sadly, the Michigan Citizens for Water Conversation has been fighting hard since 2009 to stop pumping increases just like this and now all that work might be undone. The 2009 settlement his group achieved targeted four separate Nestlé owned wells in a different county, but the volume totals will be rise again if Nestlé gets its way this time.

In Stanwood, MI in Mecosta County, Nestlé is hoping to begin pumping additional water for its Ice Mountain brand and the additional water-bottling line could be the first step to more pumping in the Great Lakes State.

But what about the environment? Well, the state has already utilized its Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool, an interactive online program to study the impact on wildlife and ecosystems. Even though the new project didn’t pass, Nestlé asked for a site-specific review to look at the geology of the area (using Nestlé’s own information on stream flow- clever) and the Department of Environmental Quality changed its mind and approved it. Crazy town.

More from the article:

“The new plant receives its water supply “from diverse sources that we manage in a sustainable manner,” said Christopher Rieck, a spokesman for Nestlé Waters North America, who also defended the company’s plan to pump more water. “The increase would also allow us the ability to balance the use of our water sources to ensure long-term sustainability and support future growth.”

But activists who have fought hard against the corporate giant are far from convinced and worry about the environmental impact. They believe that Michigan’s natural resources are far more important than dollar signs.”

What citizens in Michigan need to understand is that the amount of water they have is unusual and isn’t guaranteed to always be there, especially not if things like this continue to take place.

This isn’t the first time Nestle has been irresponsible. Wonder what it will take for someone to finally stand up to them and say “no”? I hope it happens before it’s too late.

Source: Alt Health Works