Past News McCloud takes on lackluster job market
Siskiyou Daily News, December 29, 2008
McCloud, Calif. - As local job opportunities dwindle around the nation, the McCloud Local First Steering Committee announced this week that they’re taking matters into their own hands, launching the first-ever McCloud Basin Business Idea Contest.
Local First committee offers prizes for McCloud business ideas
Mt. Shasta Herald, December 31, 2008
McCloud, Calif. - The McCloud Local First Steering Committee has launched its first McCloud Basin Business Idea Contest with the goal of encouraging area residents, elected officials, business leaders and others in the community to share and develop business ideas that could create jobs in McCloud.
PG&E, county government talk cloud seeding Marler's presentation
Siskiyou Daily, December 16, 2008
Yreka, Calif. -Representatives from Pacific Gas and Electric addressed the board of supervisors last week at its regular meeting. Two PG&E scientists made presentations and answered questions from the board concerning the cloud seeding project that is about to be implemented in the Pit-McCloud watershed area of southern Siskiyou County.
Tap dreams: Who controls what we drink? Corporate water comes to (and from) San Francisco
San Francisco Bay Guardian, December 10, 2008
On Dec. 2 two water conferences were held in San Francisco, attended by very different groups of people. Downtown, in a room deep within the Hyatt Regency hotel, executives from PepsiCo, Dean Foods, GE, ConAgra, and other major companies gathered for the Corporate Water Footprinting Conference. The agenda that the conference made public included a presentation by Nestlé on assessing water-related risks in communities, Coca-Cola's aggressive environmental water-neutrality goal, and MillerCoors plan to use less water to make more beer.
McCloud directors sworn in
Mt. Shasta News, December 11, 2008
Anne Simons and Brian Stewart took the oath of office as McCloud Community Services District directors during Monday night’s board meeting and Tim Dickinson was elected by the board to serve another year as its president.
Simons and Stewart were appointed to the board in lieu of election when they were the only two candidates to file for two seats that were scheduled to be on the November ballot.
Comments flow freely at Siskiyou Water Network meeting
Mt. Shasta News, December 11, 2008
Weed, Calif. - More than 50 people attended a meeting of The Siskiyou Water Network last Wednesday at College of the Siskiyous in Weed to discuss a plethora of water related topics.
Shingletown Water Extraction Proposal Stirs More Northern California Water Debates
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FISHING, HUNTING AND OUTDOOR NEWS, December 10, 2008
Shingletown -- Based on an educated guess, one Shingletown resident who owns property in the Hidden Meadows/Crook Springs area of Shingletown is prepared to haul 288,000 gallons of water down the hill each day. This resident is asking the Shasta County Planning Commission to approve his request for a permit to extract this vast amount of water and use 48 tanker trucks (96 round trips) a day to deliver it for sale elsewhere as bottled water. But resistance is brewing...
Coca-Cola, Others Charged With Greenwash Infoshop News, December 4, 2008
SAN FRANCISCO - December 4 - The Coca-Cola company and other water companies including Pepsico and Nestle Waters were challenged in San Francisco by a broad coalition of groups, charging the companies with greenwashing and abusing water resources.
Businesses, watchdogs clash on water policies
SFGate, December 3, 2008
What do a computer company, an office chair manufacturer and a soft drink maker have in common? Aside from dealing with the economic slump, all three firms - IBM, Steelcase and Coca-Cola - use vast amounts of water each year. And each is trying to learn to use less.
Nestlé bottled-water ads misleading, environmentalists say
CBC News, December 1, 2008
A coalition of environmental groups has filed a complaint against Nestlé, alleging its advertisement claiming that bottled water is "environmentally responsible" is misleading.
Wells votes to cap water extraction
Sanford-Springvale Register, November 21, 2008
During the Nov. 4 election, 68 percent of Wells residents voted to enact a 180-day moratorium on all water extraction activities allowing time to develop a town ordinance in regard to water extraction.
Most state native game fish face extinction
SF Chronicle, November 20, 2008
Most of California's native salmon, steelhead and trout species face extinction by the end of the century unless the state acts quickly to provide adequate freshwater and habitat, according to a study released Wednesday by the state's leading salmon expert.
Are we running out of water? Locally and statewide, we can’t agree on how to respond to dwindling supplies
Chico News & Review, November 20, 2008
The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the largest estuary on the Pacific Coast, provides habitat for 700 native plant and animal species. Experts agree it is in serious, long-term crisis. Fish are declining, its levees are weak, global warming threatens rising sea levels, and water quality is worsening.
Endangered Species? Big steelhead
Siskiyou Daily News, November 20, 2008
Siskiyou County, Calif. - Of the 11 native fish species found in the Mount Shasta region, seven face a substantial risk of extinction within the next century, a report released today by UC Davis professor Dr. Peter Moyle claims.
Adapting California’s Water Management to Climate Change
Public Policy Institute of California, November 2008
Among the potential impacts of climate change, accelerated sea level rise and a reduced Sierra snowpack are the most certain. Both will pose significant challenges for water supply and flood management. Water utilities have already begun to plan for these changes, but flood control agencies are lagging behind and face greater regulatory constraints. State leadership is needed to resolve some threats, including the risk of catastrophic failure in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This report was prepared as part of the Preparing California for a Changing Climate project.
Recent denial of bottled water plant being challenged in court
High Springs Herald, November 14, 2008
GILCHRIST COUNTY – A recent decision to deny a bottled water plant on the Santa Fe River is being challenged in court. Blue Springs Properties has filed a motion stating that the Gilchrist County Commission did not follow the due process of law when the Commission denied the special permit for a bottled water plant at a meeting in September.
Protect Our Waters speaks on Nestle issue
Mt. Shasta Herald, November 12, 2008
McCloud, Calif. – The issue of the proposed Nestle water bottling plant in McCloud has undergone many changes over its five year history, but what has not changed is that it is perhaps the single most contentious issue in the county.
In the following interview, Debra Anderson, president of McCloud Watershed Council, and Curtis Knight, California Trout Mount Shasta Area Program Manager, answer questions about their umbrella organization – the Protect Our Waters Coalition – and what the past years dealing with the Nestle issue in McCloud have been like from their point of view. Anderson and Knight answer some of the questions individually, and some jointly on behalf of Protect Our Waters.
Cloud seeding concerns aired
Mt. Shasta Herald, November 12, 2008
Mount Shasta, Calif. - Forty concerned citizens met at the Flying Lotus Dance Studio in Mount Shasta on Nov. 5 to discuss PG&E’s weather modification program for southern Siskiyou County, which is scheduled to begin Nov. 15.
Nestle bottles, sells filtered Framingham tap water
Metro West Daily News, November 11, 2008
By Dan McDonald/Daily News staff
FRAMINGHAM — The Framingham Technology Park off Rte. 9 does not evoke the idyllic and tranquil images often associated with ads promoting bottled drinking water.
Shuman offers economic development ideas in McCloud
Mt. Shasta Herald, November 6. 2008
"Planting the Seeds of Prosperity: The Promise of Local Living Economies" was the name of the presentation given by economist, attorney and author Michael Shuman to a large crowd of McCloud business owners and prospective business owners Monday of this week.
Calif. to cut water deliveries to cities, farms
Associated Press, October 30, 2008
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California said Thursday that it plans to cut water deliveries to their second-lowest level ever next year, raising the prospect of rationing for cities and less planting by farmers.
McCloud Dinner Train to scale back service in 2009
Mt. Shasta Herald, October 29, 2008
McCloud, Calif. - At the McCloud Community Services District board meeting Monday evening, board president Tim Dickinson began discussion of last Wednesday’s “public meeting” held by Nestle and facilitated by Nestle contractor Kearns&West by saying, “I told Kearns&West to do a lot of advertising. There was none except an [announcement] in the newspaper [the day of the meeting] and I got a letter the same day. [Kearns&West moderator] Bill Pistor was not prepared for the turnout, there were not enough materials. His public speaking was less than satisfactory.”
Liquid Gold: Nestlé's deal for a water-bottling plant in a Mount Shasta mill town sets off a fierce legal battle that splits the community.
California Lawyer
For Drew Bassak, a partner at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in San Francisco, it is one of those cases that joined vocation and avocation. More than that: For Bassak, fly-fishing isn't just a hobby. It's a passion, close to a religion, an affirmation of who he is and what he believes. And the McCloud River--a gin-clear stream fed by springs on the flanks of Mount Shasta--is where Bassak practices some of his most earnest devotions.
First Nestle meeting was rocky
Mt. Shasta Herald, October 29, 2008 McCloud, Calif. - The first Nestle sponsored “public meeting” held in the McCloud High School gym last Wednesday evening quickly devolved into antagonism, with McCloud community members openly ridiculing the evening’s moderator.
The meeting, put on by Nestle and facilitated by Kearns & West, a California public relations company hired by Nestle to mediate and negotiate dialogue within the McCloud community about the contentious proposed bottling plant, saw a turnout of close to 150 people, many of whom were hoping the forum would live up to its billing as a chance for both sides of the issue to meet and work toward “mutual goals.”
CRISIS: 'WE ARE ... RUNNING OUT OF CLEAN WATER'
The Globe and Mail, October 25, 2008
OTTAWA -- 'What does it take to frighten people?" Maude Barlow wonders. She rattles off a grim list of worries, barely pausing for breath: water supplies in Africa guarded by dogs and chain-link fences while families go thirsty, the vital Murray-Darling Basin in southeast Australia crumbling into desert, the mighty Colorado River in the United States drying up to a trickle.
Nestle criticised for child health claims
The Independent, UK, October 22, 2008
Nestle wrongly claimed its noodles would make children stronger, the Advertising Standards Authority has ruled in a case which throws unflattering light on the food giant's marketing in the developing world.
‘Water Talks’ draw large audiences
Mt. Shasta Herald, October 8, 2008
Dunsmuir, Calif. - Over the course of three evenings in Weed, Dunsmuir, and McCloud, residents from every corner of Siskiyou County, and as far away as Orland and Arcata, came to hear “Water Talks: An Introduction to Mount Shasta's Unique Ecosystems.”
Interview with Nestle’s McCloud bottling plant project manager Dave Palais
Mt. Shasta Herald, October 1, 2008
Dunsmuir, Calif. - The newspaper caught up with Dave Palais, Natural Resources Manager and Nestle’s point person for the proposed bottling plant in McCloud, at the Brown Trout Café in Dunsmuir last Thursday.
Earlier in the week, Palais had signaled Nestle’s intention to go forward with the environmental permitting required at the state and federal levels for the proposed plant, to an often openly hostile audience at the McCloud Community Services District board meeting.
DWR calls drought ‘most significant in state’s history’: Drought dry Mt. Shasta
Mt. Shasta Herald., October 1, 2008
Siskiyou County, Calif. - A drive along the I-5 corridor between Mount Shasta and Redding will quickly let even the casual observer know that California is experiencing a severe drought. The sight of a bare Mount Shasta and the exposed banks of Shasta Lake serve as stark and constant reminders of the situation unfolding throughout the North State.
Guerre de l'eau en Californie
LE MONDE, September 30, 2008
MCCLOUD (CALIFORNIE) ENVOYÉ SPÉCIAL - Officiellement,Debra Anderson, une quadragénaire élégante, gère une agence immobilière dans sa ville natale de McCloud, petite bourgade touristique au pied du majestueux mont Shasta, au nord de la Californie. En réalité, Debra laisse son mari s'occuper de ses affaires, et consacre son temps et son énergie à se battre contre le groupe Nestlé.
California legislation would measure how much water is bottled
SFGate, September 24, 2008
How much of California's water is bottled? Legislation would let the public know. California is in the midst of a drought and could be on the verge of a water crisis. The past spring was among the driest on record and experts are predicting that this upcoming winter season will be similarly dry. There have been various proposals offered to address this situation ranging from dams, canals, conservation and underground storage. While some of these proposals are highly controversial, the state should also take basic steps to understand how and where our water is being used.
A water fight in Maine: Some are resisting Poland Spring's quest for more
Boston Globe, September 11, 2008
SHAPLEIGH, Maine - Walk about 100 yards down a well-worn path, past wild berry bushes, and take a left into leafy growth. Just a few more feet into the green canopy, and there they are, jutting out from the earth.
The war over water
- Poland Spring to voters: Dump moratorium
Journal Tribune, September 9, 2008
SHAPLEIGH — Poland Spring is urging Shapleigh residents to vote down a proposed moratorium Sept. 20 that would prohibit testing by the company on town-owned land on Mann Road. The company, in a prepared statement, said it believes a moratorium isn’t needed because it will be at least a year before any application for water extraction is submitted to the town.
What is best for McCloud?
Siskiyou Daily News, August 25, 2008
By McCloud Watershed Council
Nestlé’s cancellation of its contract with the McCloud Community Services District gives McCloud residents an opportunity to come together and decide how we want to move forward. With the contract gone, we have a clean slate and we can determine as a community what is best for McCloud.
Everyone knows industry needs oil. Now people are worrying about water, too
The Economist, August 21, 2008
“WATER is the oil of the 21st century,” declares Andrew Liveris, the chief executive of Dow, a chemical company. Like oil, water is a critical lubricant of the global economy. And as with oil, supplies of water—at least, the clean, easily accessible sort—are coming under enormous strain because of the growing global population and an emerging middle-class in Asia that hankers for the water-intensive life enjoyed by people in the West.
Wells selectmen set public hearing on water moratorium proposal
Sea Coast Online, August 14, 2008
WELLS, MAINE — Selectmen will hold a public hearing on Tuesday to determine whether a citizen group’s proposal for a 180-day moratorium on water extraction in town by large corporations should be placed on the November ballot.
Citizens reject proposed Nestle water contract at public meeting
Nestle (Poland Springs) argues case in Maine Supreme Court
McCloud CSD halts talk about Nestle contract
Mt. Shasta Herald, August 13, 2008
The McCloud Community Services District passed a motion during its regular meeting Monday night to cease all discussion concerning a water bottling contract with Nestle Water North America until another offer has been made.
Protecting the Great Lakes: victory and vigilance
Grand Rapids Press, August 10, 2008
Water shortages are becoming as common as kudzu and cowboy boots in the South and West. California is in a second year of serious drought. Global warming threatens to deplete rivers, lakes and streams in Georgia and elsewhere. And wily oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens is buying up water rights in the Texas Panhandle, on the reasonable assumption that H2O is the new black -- or clear -- gold.
Bottled water brands form single lobby group
Marketing Week, August 8, 2008
Evian, Nestlé Waters, Danone Waters and Highland Spring are joining forces to form a lobby group to tackle the backlash against the bottle water industry. The Natural Hydration Council will come into operation on September 1.
Food & Water Watch, Corporate Accountability International and Council of Canadians Endorse Global Water Crisis Film “FLOW” - Filmmaker Calls On Senators Obama and McCain to Bring the Water Crisis Into the Presidential Debate
NEW YORK, NY – August 7, 2008 – Today, several leading United States and Canada-based advocacy groups have joined forces to support the highly anticipated U.S. theatrical release of FLOW (www.flowthefilm.com) by Oscilloscope Pictures, a distribution company founded by Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys. The announcement was timed to coincide with Nestlé Company’s (VTX: NESN) plan to release its half-year results today and follows headlines detailing recent setbacks for Nestlé Waters’ original contract with McCloud, California to build a one million square foot bot tling facility. The coalition includes several organizations such as Food & Water Watch, Corporate Accountability International and the Council of Canadians.
Nestlé Waters cancels McCloud contract
Siskiyou Daily News, August 6, 2008
McCloud, Calif. - Nestlé Waters North America has announced that it will step out of the original contract that it made with the McCloud Community Services District (MCSD) to build a water plant in McCloud, according to a recent press release.
Good News for Conservation Advocates - Nestle Cancels Contract for McCloud Water Bottling Project
California Progress Report, August 6, 2008
The Protect Our Waters Coalition (composed of the McCloud Watershed Council, California Trout, and Trout Unlimited) is pleased to learn that Nestlé Waters North America has agreed to cancel its contract with the McCloud Community Services District (District) to build a water bottling facility in the town of McCloud.
Nestle Targets Aquifers and Springs in New England for Bottled Water Alternet, August 5, 2008
Over a half-billion dollars of Massachusetts' taxpayer money will be spent this year on clean drinking water program loans to communities, yet Beacon Hill has been strangely silent about -- and invested not one penny in defense of -- small- and often low-income rural towns that stand alone against what many see as a threat to their drinking water supplies: Swiss-based Nestlé Waters.
Bottled Water's Shocking Impacts and the Growing Opposition Huffington Post, August 5, 2008
We have forgotten about our closest source of water at home -- the tap. Yet one of the simplest ways to reduce our environmental impact, to save money (not a ton...yet!) and to free ourselves from shopping and storage hassle, is by saying goodbye to bottled water. A life cycle assessment commissioned by the Swiss Gas and Water Association traced the entire life cycle from water extraction to serving it up in a glass. International Coalition Emerges to Protect Great Lakes Waters Against Private Exploitation
July 31, 2008
CHICAGO - Yesterday the U.S Congress’s House Judiciary Committee approved the Great Lakes Compact, an agreement between the 8 states of the Great Lakes Basin, which lays out takings guidelines from major water supplies in that area for use by large scale projects and private enterprise. Yet many of the exceptions outlined in the Compact are bad for consumers and the environment. A coalition between Food & Water Watch and the Council of Canadians has issued a set of recommendations in response to the Compact to ensure that water remains a public resource and is not subject to the exploitation of profit-hungry corporations.
Attorney General comes down on Nestle Water Woes
Siskiyou Daily News, July 30, 2008
California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. has warned Nestle that the state will challenge the environmental plan for a bottled water plant in Siskiyou County if the company does not revise its contract to pump water from the McCloud River, according to a press release from the Office of the Attorney General of the State of California.
Nestle commits to long range study of McCloud watershed
Mt. Shasta News, July 30, 2008
On the same day that Nestle Waters North America received a 10 page letter dated July 28, 2008 from the State of California Attorney General warning them of a possible legal challenge to the proposed water bottling plant in McCloud, the company sent out a press release agreeing to a two to three year study and evaluation of the intended primary source of water for the project, Squaw Valley Creek.
Corporate Accountability’s statement regarding Attorney General Jerry Brown’s letter of warning
July 30, 2008
WASHINGTON - July 30 - Corporate Accountability International applauds California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown, Jr. for his recent letter to the Siskiyou County Planning Department. In his statement, Attorney General Brown recognizes that the proposed bottling plant – proposed to be the largest water bottling plant in the country – “even the scaled down proposal has the potential to significantly affect the important and unique natural resources of the McCloud River area.” The Attorney General also recognized the “serious deficiencies” of the previously proposed project.
Calif. AG cracks down on Nestle bottling plant
Associated Press, July 29, 2008
Sacramento, CA -- Attorney General Jerry Brown on Tuesday said he will sue to block a proposed water-bottling operation in Northern California unless its effects on global warming are evaluated.
California cracks down on Nestle bottling plant
International Herald Tribune, July 30, 2008
SACRAMENTO, California: California's attorney general said Tuesday he will sue to block a proposed Nestle water-bottling operation in Northern California unless its effects on global warming are evaluated.
Brown warns Nestle about water plans
Legal Newsline, July 29, 2008
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline) - A controversial plan to pump pristine water from Northern California's Siskiyou County has now drawn the attention of state Attorney General Jerry Brown. Atty. Gen. Brown Warns Nestle Of Legal Challenge To Water Bottling Plant: Brown Warns Nestle Of Legal Challenge To Water Bottling Plant
Office of the Attorney General press release, July 29, 2008
SISKIYOU--Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today warned Nestle that California will challenge the environmental plan for a bottled water plant in Siskiyou county if the company does not revise its contract to pump water from the McCloud River.
“It takes massive quantities of oil to produce plastic water bottles and to ship them in diesel trucks across the United States,” Attorney General Brown said. “Nestle will face swift legal challenge if it does not fully evaluate the environmental impact of diverting millions of gallons of spring water from the McCloud River into billions of plastic water bottles,” Brown added.
Read the Attorney General’s letter to the Siskiyou County Planning Department by clicking here or on the image to the right.
The coalitionopposesNestlé’s current project proposal. Its member organizations are concerned about the impact the plant will have on McCloud’s environment and economy. Like the Attorney General, the coalition seeks to ensure that Nestle is held accountable to do everything possible to identify and to mitigate the plant’s negative environmental impacts.
Mt. Shasta's glaciers growing: Warming is bolstering ice on mountain, scientists say
Associated Press, July 27, 2008
While it's not California's tallest mountain, the tongues of ice creeping down Mt. Shasta's volcanic flanks give the solitary mountain another distinction. Its seven glaciers, referred to by American Indians as the footsteps made by the creator when he descended to Earth, are the only historical glaciers in the continental U.S. known to be growing.
Proposed water contract nixed
Kennebunk Journal Tribune, July 18, 2008
After six weeks of listening to questions and concerns of customers, the Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Wells Water District trustees voted unanimously to table any further action on the proposed contract to sell spring water to Poland Spri ng on Thursday.
Poland Spring permit: upheld Supreme Court supports LURC ruling on aquifer
Sun Journal, July 16, 2008
FARMINGTON - The state's highest court affirmed a Franklin County Superior Court's decision to uphold state land regulators' permitting of a commercial groundwater extraction station in Dallas Plantation.
The War over Water
The Wire, July 10, 2008
The battle to protect regional groundwater from corporate pumping took a curious turn recently when USA Springs filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Folks at Save Our Groundwater were cautiously optimistic about the development, but they’re not getting their hopes up too high. The grassroots, volunteer organization has been fighting USA Springs for the better part of seven years, and it’s hard to say what will happen next.
Nestlé water plant? Not in our town, Enumclaw says Seattle Times, July 10, 2008
Last spring, in the small town of Enumclaw, a company came calling. What it wanted was water. One hundred million gallons a year, to be precise.
A word to the water wise
Well known in Canada for a variety of causes, Maude Barlow has become the Al Gore of the water world
Edmonton Sun, July 6, 2008
Maude Barlow is a surprisingly soft-spoken, humble presence. After reading her book Blue Covenant -- 218 pages of water scarcity stats that will scare the beejeezus out of you -- I'm half expecting to meet a Joan of Arc-hetype crusader, riding high atop a ridge on horseback, eyes darting wildly below for aquatic injustices.
Bottling plant looks to Orting after snubbing by Enumclaw
The News Tribune, July 6, 2008
The City of Enumclaw has upped the ante on what it means to be a “green-friendly” community by rejecting a bid by a Nestle corporation to build a 100 million-gallon water bottle plant there.
Proposed Nevada water pipeline project imperil communities, lifestyles
The Salt Lake Tribune, July 3, 2008
BAKER, Nev. - On moonless nights here in the Utah-Nevada borderlands of Snake Valley, the naked eye can see five planets, countless stars and the great swath of the Milky Way.
Climb the hill to Great Basin National Park and you can see the the nighttime glow of Las Vegas, whose leaders say their sprawling city must have the water under Snake Valley - or wither and die. And they are coming for it, making plans for a 285-mile pipeline to tap the aquifer that stretches from Salt Lake City to Death Valley to take the water south.
Marketing 'juggernaut' creating flood of bottled water: author
ABC News, July 3, 2008 Audio: US journo dives into bottled water industry 'coup' (The World Today)
It is one of the most remarkable marketing coups of the last quarter of a century- the explosion in bottled water sales in a country where a safer, better tasting alternative is available for a fraction of the cost on tap.
The Unbottled Truth About Bottled Water Jobs
The $60 billion global bottled water industry has grown rapidly in recent years. To keep up with the expanding market, corporations are looking for new water sources. Once they identify good or easy targets, they come into communities, bottle their water, slap a corporate logo on it and sell it to stores across the country. The profits are great and the resource is cheap. The corporations benefit. The communities don’t.
Why the Oil Industry Benefits from Bottled Water Sales Polaris Institute, June 26, 2008
Most people know of Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon, ConocoPhillips and British Petroleum as some of the world's biggest oil companies. These corporations are synonymous with gasoline, motor oil and environmental degradation.
City gives thumbs down to Nestle Ecumclaw Courier-Herald, June 25, 2008
Perhaps the shortest committee meeting in Enumclaw City Council history had a packed house cheering and clapping. An ad hoc committee of the council had been appointed to study a proposal that would allow the giant Nestlé corporation to draw Enumclaw's natural spring water
and build a bottling plant in the city.
Kennebunk, Maine citizens reject Nestle contract proposal
June 22, 2008
Bottled water is suffering 'backlash'
The Associated Press, June 19, 2008
Now that a day's worth of bottled water — the recommended 64 ounces — costs hundreds to thousands of dollars a year, depending on the brand, more people are opting for H2O straight from the sink.
Bottlemania
Forbes Magazine, June 19, 2008
In 2003, operatives for the Earth Liberation Front placed four incendiary devices inside a pump station in Michigan that supplied water to a Nestlé bottling plant. The devices failed to ignite, but ELF made its point: The substation was "stealing water," the group stated in a communique. Clean water, it continued, "is one of the most fundamental necessities, and no one can be allowed to privatize it, commodify it, and try and sell it back to us."
Drought drains resources from local farmers
Siskiyou Daily News, June 12, 2008
YREKA – Siskiyou County farmers will have real concerns as a dry winter has caused a shortage of water.
Governor Schwarzenegger recently proclaimed a statewide drought after two years of below- average rainfall, low snowmelt runoff and the largest court-ordered restrictions on water transfers in state history.
However, local farmers may not have to worry about their water being transferred to help Southern California.
Water Restoration Act May Lead to Privatization of Water Supply
Natural News, June 19, 2008
By Barbara L. Minton
The fate of the nation's water supply is under debate as hearings in the House and Senate begin on the Water Restoration Act of 2007. Opponents claim this Act threatens to greatly expand the Federal Government's roll in water management. This Act would define waters of the U.S. as "all interstate and intrastate waters and their tributaries, including lakes, rivers, streams (including intermittent streams) mudflats, sand flats, wetlands, sloughs, prairie potholes, wet meadows, playa lakes, natural ponds, and all impoundments of the foregoing". In other words, this bill will give the federal government total control of the most basic of all commodities necessary to life on this earth.
How Corporations Drain Our Aquifers for Profit (Part 1)
Natural News, June 11, 2008
A modern water war is raging in the tiny town of McCloud, California, snuggled at the base of Mt. Shasta. The enormous conglomerate, Nestlé, managed to extort a contract with the financially strapped town's board members. They were so broke that they couldn't afford an attorney to help guide them through the process.
How Corporations Drain Our Aquifers for Profit (Part 2)
Natural News, June 11, 2008
McCloud is not the only town under duress and Nestlé is not the only corporation waging war over this precious resource that actually belongs to the people.
State giving away massive amounts of shrinking water supplies to corporate interests
Michigan Messenger, June 10, 2008
Felton, Calif., is a town hidden among the coastal redwoods in the mountains outside Santa Cruz. Past the verdant state park, across the railroad track and down a steep hillside, you will find the best natural swimming hole I've ever had the pleasure of jumping into. Felton Prevails in Six-Year Fight to Acquire Water System from Cal-Am and RWE
Bay Area IndyMedia, June 9, 2008
FELTON, California -- The community of Felton, California today prevailed in its six-year fight to acquire its water system from California-American Water, a subsidiary of the German multinational corporation RWE. Cal-Am and the San Lorenzo Valley Water District (SLVWD) announced a purchase agreement today, less than a week before the planned start of an eminent domain trial where a jury would have set the value of the water system.
Study shows diesel fumes' link to heart, lung diseases
India Edunet News, June 9, 2008
The adverse effects of diesel fumes on health, especially for individuals who already have lung or heart disease, have been proven anew by a recent study. The study, by researchers at Umea University, looked at the effect of diesel exhaust on healthy individuals and those having Chronic Obstructive Lung (COL) disease and coronary disease with coronary artery atherosclerosis.
Schwarzenegger hopes drought decree is wake-up call
Sacramento Bee, June 5, 2008
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared Wednesday that California is in a drought, a move that included no immediate conservation orders but may lead to more aggressive water-saving efforts in many parts of the state.
Bottling plant factions ready for next steps
Mt. Shasta News, June 4, 2008
Nestle Waters of North America followed up on its recently announced decision to scale back the size and water usage at the proposed water bottling plant in McCloud by reiterating its support for new contract negotiations with the McCloud Community Services District.
Nestle will conduct multi-year scientific studies in McCloud
Siskiyou Daily News, June 4, 2008
MCCLOUD - Nestle Waters will engage the McCloud community and conduct impact studies before they move forward, according to a recent press release from Nestle Waters North America (NWNA).
Nestlé will hold meetings on smaller McCloud plant
Record Searchlight, June 3, 2008
Nestlé Waters North America announced more details Monday about its plans for community forums, scientific studies and new contract negotiations for the water bottling plant it proposes for McCloud.
Hydrology and biological studies are scheduled to begin this month and include a two- to three-year evaluation. Other studies on air quality, traffic conditions, hazardous materials and the potential impact of climate change on water supply will begin later this summer. Afterward, a draft environmental impact report will be provided.
Nestlé recently announced it will scale back previous plans for the plant by about 60 percent. On Monday, the business reiterated its support for new contract negotiations with the McCloud Community Services District, Nestlé project manager Dave Palais said.
Beginning this summer, the company will announce and host public meetings on the proposed McCloud plant. A series of workshops will address water resources and biology, air quality and truck traffic, and historical preservation to help shape the project, a new contract and draft EIR, Palais said.
Protect Our Waters Coalition Sees Planned Nestlé Studies, Community Engagement Approach for Revised McCloud Project as Good News McCloud, Calif., June 3, 2008 – After years of battling the proposed Nestlé water bottling plant in McCloud, CA, the Protect Our Waters Coalition (POW) announced today that it is optimistic about Nestlé Waters North America’s (Nestlé’s Waters) recent announcement that the company intends to begin negotiations this year with the McCloud Community Services District (MCSD) on a new contract to replace its 2003 contract with the MCSD, and will undertake additional scientific research on their proposed scaled-back water-bottling project in McCloud, California.
Dawn of a Thirsty Century
BBC News, June 2, 2008
The amount of water in the world is limited. The human race, and the other species which share the planet, cannot expect an infinite supply. Water covers about two-thirds of the Earth's surface, admittedly. But most is too salty for use.
Water Activists Slay Corporate Behemoth: Food & Water Watch Applauds Felton, CA’s Victory to Control Water Resources
WASHINGTON, DC - June 2 - After six years of political and legal battles, the town of Felton, California has prevailed in efforts to acquire its water system from California-American Water, which was until recently, a subsidiary of the German multi-national corporation RWE. The San Lorenzo Valley Water District will purchase the water system, which includes 250 acres of forested watershed land, for $10.5 million and take control of the $2.9 million loan residents have been paying for a new water treatment plant.
New Nestle Contract Seen as Opportunity for McCloud
California Progress Report, May 31, 2008
Nestlé’s announcement that it will reduce the size of its planned water bottling plant in McCloud and reopen its contract with the McCloud Community Services District is welcome news. While it is not certain that this scaled back project is right for our town, it does provide a great opportunity for McCloud: to ensure that we fully evaluate the risks of a proposed plant to the health of our watershed; to understand what a fair price for our water would be; and to lay the groundwork for long-term economic vitality in our community.
Nestle looking at water: Company wants to bottle city resource, operate a plant here
Enumclaw Courier Herald, May 28, 2008
ENUMCLAW, Washington -- The huge Nestle Corporation would like to tap into Enumclaw’s pristine water supply, pull millions of gallons of the cool liquid from a natural spring each week and bottle the natural beverage in a facility on the city’s east side.
Watershed Awareness Month
On May 6th, the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to declare May Watershed Awareness Month. See their declaration here, or call Rick Costales, Siskiyou County’s Natural Resource Policy Specialist with comments and questions.
530-842-8012.
Nestle proposes much smaller bottling plant
Mt. Shasta Herald, May 14, 2008
Nestle Waters North America announced Monday that it plans to significantly reduce the scale of its proposed McCloud water bottling plant, which would have been the largest of its kind in the country.
Bottled Water Backlash: Environmental Concerns are Sending People Back to Their Taps
EMagazine, May 6, 2008
Jennifer Phillips always felt guilty that her large Nashville law firm didn’t recycle. So after big client meetings, she collected all the empty plastic water bottles, took them home and added them to her own curbside recycling bin. Now, she is proud to report that her firm, Bass, Berry & Sims, serves an icy pitcher of tap water during meetings. “We even have glasses with the company logo on them,” she says. Phillips estimates switching to tap keeps 3,000 plastic water bottles per week out of the landfill.
Cal Trout: Monitoring should start soon for new Nestle report
Siskiyou Daily, Monday, May 5, 2008
MCCLOUD - When the draft Environtental Impact Report (EIR) on the proposed 1 million-square-foot Nestle spring-water bottling plant in McCloud was first released in July of 2006, it received over 4,000 comments from the public.
THE U.S. CONFERENCE OF MAYORS EXAMINES THE IMPORTANCE OF MUNICIPAL WATER
The Nation’s Major Cities Investigate the Economic and Health Benefits of Public Investment in
Clean Water, Water Infrastructure
New York City, N.Y. – The U.S. Conference of Mayors convened today in New York City a joint meeting of the Mayors Water Council and the Municipal Waste Management Association, an environmental affiliate of the Conference, to examine new information on the economic and public health benefits of local government investment in municipal water and sewer infrastructure and services.
[Note: The Department of Water Resources (DWR) final snow survey of 2008 indicates snow water content is just 67 percent of normal for the date, statewide. Snow depth and water content have declined since April, when statewide snowpack water content figures were just under 100 percent of normal, despite a dry March...]
DWR Press Release, May 1, 2008
SACRAMENTO – The Department of Water Resources (DWR) final snow survey of 2008 indicates snow water content is just 67 percent of normal for the date, statewide. Snow depth and water content have declined since April, when statewide snowpack water content figures were just under 100 percent of normal, despite a dry March.
Flaws in Clean Water Restoration Act Exposed in Congressional Hearings
National Center Blog, April 30, 2008
From Mike Hardiman comes this roundup of information about recent Congressional hearings on the Clear Water Restoration Act
Both the United States Senate and House of Representatives recently held hearings on the Oberstar/Feingold Clean Water Restoration Act. These hearings are a clear sign that the environmental community intends to push this controversial legislation to a vote in both houses of Congress sooner rather than later.
Vermont Deals a Blow to the Bottled Water Industry
Christian Science Monitor. April 29, 2008
The state's legislature has passed a bill that limits how much groundwater bottlers and other companies can draw.
Unions Aim to Push Nestle Out of Russia
BusinessWeek, April 25, 2008
Nestlé in Russia is involved in a bitter industrial dispute with its workers. The food giant is refusing to negotiate on the issue of increasing real wages. Russia's labor union federation is now threatening to strike and says the "anti-worker" company shouldn't be allowed to operate in Russia.
EBMUD may start rationing water if no rain
SFGate, April 23, 2008
San Francisco -- Nearly 1.3 million East Bay residents could be forced to ration water as early as next month if rains don't increase.
McCloud Watershed Council & California Trout Enlist Manatt: National Law Firm Joins Efforts to Protect Communities Rights against Nestle Waters North America
MCCLOUD, Calif., April 23 /PRNewswire/ -- The McCloud Watershed Council and California Trout, who, along with Trout Unlimited, comprise the Protect Our Waters Coalition, announced today that they have engaged the national law and consulting firm of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP. The firm will represent the Coalition in their fight to safeguard the rights and quality of life for residents of McCloud, California and beyond who would be affected by operation of a planned Nestle Waters North America water bottling plant in the Mt. Shasta area. Progress on the proposed plant, which would be the nation's largest, is mired in unanswered questions and conflicting economic and environmental assessments.
Town turns down Nestle Waters offer
Boston Globe, April 17, 2008
The town of Clinton has turned down a proposal from Nestle Waters North America Inc. that would have allowed the company to pump 240,000 gallons of water daily out of underground aquifers for bottling.
Bottling plants face opposition as fears grow over water supplies
Associated Press, April 9, 2008
McCLOUD, Calif.—Like many small towns across America, this was a community that once rallied around high school football. Today, the school enrolls too few students to even field a team.
BusinessWeek, April 3, 2008
Tucked into the foothills of Mount Shasta, the Northern California town of McCloud has no stoplights and one grocery store. A former logger's El Dorado, McCloud fell on hard times in the 1980s when it started running out of trees to cut down. But with its drop-dead panoramas and crisp, clean air, the burg started to limp back in the 1990s. Today it is a world-renowned paradise for trout anglers, a respite for burned-out boomers looking to escape the status race, and a hotbed of New Age seekers, some of whom jet in from Japan to meditate and chant in what they regard as a spiritual vortex. Read more...
McCloud divided on reports
Mt. Shasta Herald, April 2, 2008
Since the Nestle Waters bottling plant contract was signed in 2003, many McCloud citizens feel the community has become divided into two separate groups: those who support the project and those who oppose it.
[Note: The town of McCloud and the local Nestle debate has hit the international media scene, with the release of a great article in the International Herald Tribune on March 19th. This media outlet reaches 180 countries, and is the largest international publication in the world! Just goes to show that this issue has garnered far-reaching interest and implications for those outside looking in, and not just for us.]
Nestlé's thirst for water splits small U.S. town
International Herald Tribune, March 21, 2008
SAN FRANCISCO: McCloud, a former lumber company town in the far north of California, has the charm of a small village and a breathtaking setting among pine and fir trees on the southern flank of Mount Shasta.
Rising sales of bottled water trigger strong reaction from U.S. conservationists
International Herald Tribune, March 19, 2008
Bottled water sales in the United States reached 8.82 billion gallons in 2007, worth $11.7 billion, making the U.S. market for bottled water the largest in the world, according to Beverage Marketing, a provider of beverage industry data. Worldwide, water bottlers sold 47 billion gallons, or 178 billion liters, in 2006, up from 43 billion gallons in 2005.
The water in a bottle can spring from just about anywhere
St. Petersburg Times, March, 15, 2008
If you buy a bottle of Zephyrhills Brand Natural Spring Water, it may not come from Zephyrhills. It may not even be "natural spring water," it may be well water.
Better read the fine print.
Water's trip to your glass is complicated Tampa Bay Times, March 15, 2008
Nestle came into Florida and managed to pull off quite the coup.
The company got a permit to take water belonging to Floridians — hundreds of millions of gallons a year from a spring in a state park — at no cost to Nestle. No taxes. No fees. Just a $230 permit to pump water until 2018.
Diesel fumes can affect your brain Reuters, March 11, 2008
London – Inhaling diesel exhaust triggers a stress response in the brain that may have damaging long-term effects on brain function, Dutch researchers said on Monday.
Candidate, MCSD directors disagree on selection process
Mt. Shasta Herald, March 5, 2008
Following his unsuccessful bid to fill the vacant seat on the McCloud Community Services District board of directors, former candidate Brian Stewart said he believes the board's decision was based on a candidate more consistent with the board's interests than the interests of the people of McCloud.
Nation's First Bottled Water Tax Hits Chicagoans The Heartland Institute, March 2008
Chicago has become the first city in the nation to tax bottled water. The 5 cents a bottle tax took effect January 1.
Battle Over Massive Nestle Water Bottling Plant to Protect Mount Shasta Headwaters in Tiny Northern California Community of McCloud
California Progress Report, March 2008
Nestle has made some important concessions in recent days regarding its proposed massive water bottling plant in McCloud, CA, indicating that the company is willing to complete more rigorous environmental review than previously promised before building a massive water bottling facility in McCloud. But, like all large-scale projects, the devil is in the details.
Bottled Water Vs. Tap Water: Chemicals, contaminants, pollution, price: new reasons to rethink what you drink and beware of bottled water
Reader's Digest, February 2008
Remember the drinking fountain, that once ubiquitous, and free, source of H2O? It seems quaint now. Instead, bottled water is everywhere, in offices, airplanes, stores, homes and restaurants across the country. We consumed over eight billion gallons of the stuff in 2006, a 10 percent increase from 2005. It's refreshing, calorie-free, convenient to carry around, tastier than some tap water and a heck of a lot healthier than sugary sodas. But more and more, people are questioning whether the water, and the package it comes in, is safe, or at least safer than tap water—and if the convenience is worth the environmental impact.
Bottlers Making Millions Off Dwindling Florida Water Supply WFTV, February 26, 2008
Every day millions of gallons of Florida water is bottled, wrapped, and shipped out of state. It's a troubling trend for environmental watchdogs who are warning the state's aquifer is expected to exceed its capacity just five years from now.
Connecticut legislators urge state to end bottled water contract with Nestle
BevNet, February 25, 2008
Connecticut state legislators last week urged the state to break its 3-year contract with Greenwich-based Nestle Waters North America in favor of asking state employees to drink their water from the tap.
Nestle sues over imported waters
SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, February 25, 2008
THE supermarket giant Woolworths is in a legal fight with one of its biggest suppliers over its decision to import an upmarket brand of mineral water rather than buy it locally from the Australian licence holder. Water forum in McCloud draws crowd
Mt. Shasta Herald, February 24, 2008
More than 100 concerned citizens attended a water forum Tuesday of last week in McCloud that included viewpoints from Nestle project manager Dave Palais, the McCloud Watershed Council, and Kristen Lee of ECONorthwest Consulting of Eugene, Ore.
City traffic fumes 'can cause heart attacks'
Times Online, February 18, 2008
People living in big cities are “breathing in an oil spill” every day because of air pollution that can have significant effects on cardiovascular health, scientists said today.
Water bottling is creating jobs — for lawyers
Redding Record Searchlight, February 15, 2008 - Editorial
If you habitually root for underdogs, you have to give a big round of applause to the fish lovers, tree-huggers and assorted skeptics of the proposed water-bottling plant in McCloud, who this week won a major victory.
Good studies worth the time - Letter to the Editor
Friday's editorial once again distorts the facts surrounding the "concessions" by Nestle Waters regarding its bottling project in McCloud. While the so-called "tree huggers, fish lovers and assorted skeptics" are pleased that Nestle is taking this first step in preparing the appropriate California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documents, more work needs to be done.
Nestle needs to tell truth - Letter to the Editor
I have read your editorial of Friday several times looking for some positive thought in it. First of all, I am not a "fish lover, tree-hugger or an assorted skeptic." I have been a homeowner in McCloud for over three years and a full-time resident of one year. If the north state needs the type of economic boost Nestle will provide, I'm out of here.
Nevada water 'grab' hearings wrap up
Thomson Financial, February 15, 2008
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) - State hearings into a plan to pump billions of gallons of rural Nevada water to Las Vegas ended Friday with proponents saying they're entitled to the water and opponents warning that the pumping could have a catastrophic impact.
Nestle proposes reopening bottling plant EIR process
Record Searchlight, February 14, 2008
MCCLOUD -- An overflow audience in the multipurpose room of McCloud Union Elementary School was stunned Tuesday evening when Nestle Waters North America asked to reopen the environmental review process for its proposed water-bottling plant on the site of the California Cedar Products lumber mill in McCloud.
Maude Barlow: The Growing Battle for the Right to Water
AlterNet, February 14, 2008
From Chile to the Philippines to South Africa to her home country of Canada, Maude Barlow is one of a few people who truly understands the scope of the world's water woes. Her newest book, Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water, details her discoveries around the globe about our diminishing water resources, the increasing privatization trend and the grassroots groups that are fighting back against corporate theft, government mismanagement and a changing climate.
Maude Barlow: The Growing Battle for the Right to Water
AlterNet, February 14, 2008.
From Chile to the Philippines to South Africa to her home country of Canada, Maude Barlow is one of a few people who truly understands the scope of the world's water woes. Her newest book, Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water, details her discoveries around the globe about our diminishing water resources, the increasing privatization trend and the grassroots groups that are fighting back against corporate theft, government mismanagement and a changing climate.
Report on Nestle request to re-open EIR process
KDRV NewsWatch February 13, 2008
Groups respond to Nestle's plan to change project
Mt. Shasta Herald, February 13, 2008
The following statement from McCloud Watershed Council, California Trout and Trout Unlimited was released yesterday in response to Nestle concessions regarding proposed water bottling facility in McCloud. It was received too late to be used in the article that starts on page A1. (Read the actual press release here.)
Report points to positive economic impacts of fishing
Mt. Shasta Herald, February 13, 2008
Southern Siskiyou County business owners agree in concept with a report published earlier this month that details the importance of recreational fishing to the local economy.
Nestle to change project
Mt. Shasta Herald, February 13, 2008
Nestle Waters of North America announced in a press release Monday that community feedback led to its decision to make changes to the proposed water bottling plant project in McCloud. (Read the actual press release here.)
Board candidates interviewed in McCloud
Mt. Shasta Herald, February 13, 2008
The McCloud Community Services District took another step in the process of replacing former director Dennis Dalton during their meeting Monday night.
Proving Mark Twain wrong in the MST
Napa Valley Register, February 12, 2008
Mark Twain said “Whiskey is for drinking, and water is for fighting.” With the rains hopefully tapering off soon, it may be time to turn our thoughts to the dry season and the possibility of overcoming the depletion of the aquifer in the lower Milliken-Sarco-Tulocay (MST) water basin.
Poland Spring looks for water in Shapleigh: The company, which is seeking permission to test 150 acres, would pay the town a per-gallon fee
Associated Press, February 7, 2008
Poland Spring is eyeing a piece of town-owned land in Shapleigh as a possible new source of water. The fast-growing company is considering 150 acres owned by the town on Mann Road as a potential site to extract water that would be trucked to Hollis, where Poland Spring operates one of the largest bottling plants in the world. The company would pay the town of Shapleigh a yet-to-be-determined per-gallon fee for water drawn from the property.
Nestle project is subject of Feb. 12 community forum
Mt. Shasta Herald, February 6, 2008
A McCloud Community Forum hosted by the McCloud Watershed Council is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 12 at the McCloud Elementary School from 7 to 9 p.m. Organizers say the goal of the forum is “to initiate an open exchange of information within the McCloud community, as well as collect public opinion about the proposed water bottling facility.”
Mixed Green: Water matters
Dunn County News, February 5, 2008
Despite a frigid cold evening, more than 50 people turned out on Jan. 17 at the Menomonie Public Library for an event sponsored by Sustainable Dunn. The topic was water, and the presenters included Neil Koch, hydrologist, along with Krista James and Dr. Kitrina Carlson, UW-Stout biology faculty and environmental educators. All three shared their extensive knowledge and experience relating to ground and surface water in Dunn County, along with many proactive recommendations.
Climate change threatens West's water, world's crops
USA Today, February 1, 2008
The potential that global warming has to dry up water resources in the American West and the food supplies of 1 billion people in the poorest regions of Africa and Asia are the focus of two studies released today.
Congress seeks ‘wide’ GAO probe of bottled water
WaterTech Online, February 1, 2008
WASHINGTON — The chairman and vice chair of a House subcommittee called this week for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a “wide-reaching” investigation of the bottled water industry, particularly relating to the industry’s recent rapid growth and its environmental impacts.
Decline in Snowpack Is Blamed On Warming: Water Supplies In West Affected
Washington Post, February 1 ,2008
The persistent and dramatic decline in the snowpack of many mountains in the West is caused primarily by human-induced global warming and is not the result of natural variability in weather patterns, researchers reported yesterday.
Are our current growth and water use sustainable? Arizona Central,January 31, 2008
This article is one in a series of articles contributed by Arizona State University's Global Institute of Sustainability. The Institute catalyzes and advances interdisciplinary research and education on environmental, economic, and social sustainability.
Battle begins over water rights:Town wants to regain control of Wekepeke
Telegram, January 31, 2008 STERLING— Residents opposed to Nestlé Waters of North America’s proposal to pump water from the Wekepeke aquifer and sell it as bottled water are following the example of some New Hampshire residents who took control of their town’s water and other resources.
India polarised over water privatisation
NDTV, January 29, 2008 (New Delhi)
Across India, there is a rising tide of water privatisation projects made possible in recent years by a radical departure in the way national policy views water. Water is no longer just a public service to be delivered by governments but a resource to be managed well if need be, with the participation of the private sector.
Religious groups speak out against bottled water Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 26, 2008
In the late 1970s, when bottled water started to appear in stores, Sister Evelyn Flowers of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine in Richfield found it hard to understand why people would pay for something so freely available: "This is kind of crazy, isn't it?"
Vacancy on McCloud CSD board
Mt. Shasta Herald, January 23, 2008
The McCloud Community Services District is looking for a new board member to fill the seat of Dennis Dalton, who resigned as of Jan. 8 due to health issues. At the District's Jan. 14 meeting, discussion was held regarding how the position would be filled.
Water bottling debate goes to DC
Mt. Shasta Herald, December 19, 2007
Three years ago it would have been difficult to predict that the McCloud-Nestle water agreement would be part of a United States congressional hearing in Washington, DC. Last Wednesday, Dec. 12, Richard McFarland of McCloud spoke during a hearing of the Domestic Policy Subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Bottling plant proposal discussed at hearing
Redding Record-Searchlight, December 13, 2007
A McCloud man hoping to stop construction of a proposed Nestle water-bottling plant in his Siskiyou County hometown and one of the company's top executives explained their opposing views about the plant to a congressional subcommittee Wednesday.
Two takes on water plant
Chico News & Review, December 13, 2007
The continuing controversy over the Nestlé Corp.’s proposal to build a huge water bottling plant in the historic town of McCloud, near Mount Shasta, now has entered the “dueling reports” stage.
Congress quizzes Nestle about Michigan water-bottling operation: Company denies that Mecosta County pumping hurts water flow
Detroit Free-Press, December 12, 2007
WASHINGTON – A Nestle official was asked at a congressional hearing today about whether the company continued to pump groundwater from its Michigan wells this summer as a stream fed by underground aquifers fell to dangerously low levels. Congress Hears Testimony: Bottled Water Industry Is Detrimental to American Communities
Food & Water Watch, Decemberj 12, 2007
WASHINGTON, DC - Today environmental, citizen, and consumer advocacy groups, including Food & Water Watch, will speak out against the bottled water industry’s harmful impacts on American communities before a Congressional subcommittee. The House Subcommittee on Domestic Policy is holding a hearing at 2 pm to address the environmental risks of water bottling plants extracting ground water and spring water from rural communities across the country.
Need groundwater plan, bottlers tell Congress
WaterTech Online, December 12, 2007
WASHINGTON — International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) President and CEO Joseph Doss addressed a US House of Representatives subcommittee on December 12 about the bottled water industry’s use of groundwater resources.
Community Bottled Water Concerns Take Capitol Stage
Earth Times, December 11, 2007
Today a House subcommittee will look at the environmental impact of water bottling and extraction on communities across the country. Chair of the House Subcommittee on Domestic Policy, Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), is convening the hearing in response to the concerns of citizen groups from New Hampshire to California. Groups speaking at the hearing are currently challenging the aggressive lobbying and public relations efforts of corporations like Nestle, who bottle water (or intend to bottle water) in or near their communities.
Richard McFarland of the the McCloud Watershed Council will testify before a Congressional committe on Wednesday, as part of a hearing "Assessing The Environmental Risks of the Water Bottling Industry’s Extraction of Groundwater." This hearing will examine the environmental issues presented when water bottling plants extract groundwater and spring water from water sources in rural communities. Specifically, the hearing will address:
The broader policy context of the water bottling industry;
The impact on communities of water bottling plants;
The geological/hydrological dynamics and environmental effects of extraction on the surrounding watershed, wetlands and riparian systems;
The growth, practices, and policies of the water bottling industry; and
The adequacy of state property rights, state permitting systems, and federal regulations in addressing these issues.
Homeowners Wonder About Bottler's Plans
Tampa Tribune, December 10, 2007
ZEPHYRHILLS -- Marlene and Lewis Mann took one look at the giant oaks in the Woodland Acres subdivision and knew this was where they'd raise their family and eventually retire.
Report on the McCloud water issue (MP3)
KZFR, November 30, 2007
KZFR's Alina Neacy reports on the new report that the Nestle plant will not bring more jobs to the area.
Nestle Wants to Own Your Water: Time for Californians to Act
California Progress Report, November 29, 2007
As part of the expansion of its bottled water business worldwide, the Nestle corporation has proposed the largest-ever US water bottling plant for the pristine Mt. Shasta region of California. The proposed 1,000,000 square-foot plant would remove more than 500 million gallons (1,600 acre-feet) of Northern California’s pure, clear water each year—to the tune of 600 trips per day by large tanker trucks. The Nestle proposal also includes a 50 to 100 year water monopoly, and allows for unlimited drilling of bore holes to extract even more water.
Local NBC affliate reports on the release of McCloud Watershed Council report on the proposed Nestle bottling plant
The US Bottled Water Industry – An Overview
FLEXNEWS, November 23, 2007
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23 November 2007 - Bottled water sales in the US have grown steadily over the last two decades. In 2006, sales amounted to 8.25 billion gallons, a 9.5% increase on the year. The sales volume of bottled water is higher than milk and nearly outsold beer last year.
A pair of reports offer opposing views on Nestle plant
Mt. Shasta News, November 21, 2007
Two recently released reports on the proposed Nestle bottling plant in McCloud offer opposing views on the issues, with one report saying the plant will degrade the economy and the other declaring the plant will have economic benefits.
Reports offer opposing outlooks for McCloud
Redding Record Searchlight, November 20, 2007
One report warns a "super-size" water bottling plant would zap McCloud jobs and shortchange the small town for its precious natural resource. Another report highlights the hundreds of jobs and $23 million income the same bottling plant would nurture in Siskiyou County. The conflicting reports, both released Monday, discuss Nestle Waters North America's plans and potential economic impact.
Bottled Water Not So Hot for Economy Either, Report Finds
PlanetSave, November 19, 2007
Mount Shasta - Environmentalists already have good reason to despise bottled-water companies, but local economic development folks might now have reason to question the industry too. That’s the message from opponents of a proposed Nestle water-bottling facility in McCloud, California, a small community with natural springs fed by the glaciers of Mount Shasta.
Crystal Geyser loses bid to pump mineral water from Napa
Napa Valley Register, September 7, 2007
Saying they are concerned about global warming and millions of plastic water bottles, Napa City Councilmembers won’t let Crystal Geyser tap into a city aquifer for mineral water.
County confirms Nestle DEIR recirculation
Mt. Shasta News, August 8, 2007
As has been expected for several weeks, the Siskiyou County Public Health Department announced last week that the Draft Environmental Impact Report and Environmental Assessment for the proposed Nestle water bottling plant in McCloud will be recirculated at an undetermined future date.
Bottled water: A river of money
By Fast Company, August 2, 2007
The largest bottled-water factory in North America is on the outskirts of Hollis, Maine. In the back of the plant stretches the staging area for finished product: 24 million bottles of Poland Spring water.
In Praise of Tap Water - Editorial
New York Times, August 1, 2007
On the streets of New York or Denver or San Mateo this summer, it seems the telltale cap of a water bottle is sticking out of every other satchel. Americans are increasingly thirsty for what is billed as the healthiest, and often most expensive, water on the grocery shelf. But this country has some of the best public water supplies in the world. Instead of consuming four billion gallons of water a year in individual-sized bottles, we need to start thinking about what all those bottles are doing to the planet’s health.
California Connections documentary: "Water Wars" - Watch it online!
A documentary film crew from the public television program "California Connected" came to McCloud to prepare a 12-minute story on issues concerning residents about NESTLÉ's proposed water bottling plant. This from their report:
"A powerful battle is brewing at the foot of northern California’s scenic Mt. Shasta, in the tiny town of McCloud. The issue? Bottled water. Many in the town believe that the huge Nestle company is stealing their water by signing a contract to erect a massive bottled water plant in McCloud. Others believe that there is plenty of water to go around and signing a contract that will permit Nestle to tap into McCloud’s large aquifer is simply good business. Correspondent Craig Miller reports."
Water bottling DEIR may go out for more comments
Mt. Shasta Herald, July 5, 2007
Despite more than 4,000 written comments from citizens and organizations, reams of scientific evidence and hundreds of hours of public comment, the Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Assessment for the proposed Nestle water bottling plant in McCloud may be recirculated for further review and comment.
Supreme Court rejects Nestle contract appeal
Mt. Shasta News, May 2, 2007
Without comment, the California Supreme Court declined to review a January 2007 Third Appellate Court decision that reinstated the contract between Nestle and the McCloud Community Services District for Nestle to build a water bottling plant on the outskirts of the town.
Bottled Water Boycott Highlights Waste, Resource Depletion
The New Standard, April 26, 2007
Environmentalists are calling for a boycott of bottled water in an effort to reduce the use of fossil fuels, protect the environment and protect local drinking supplies.
Nestle contract being appealed to CA Supreme Court
Mt. Shasta News, March 21, 2007
Concerned McCloud Citizens have announced their intention to appeal to the California Supreme Court a January 2007 Third District Appeal Court's decision reinstating the contract between Nestle and the McCloud Community Services District.
The real cost of bottled water
San Francisco Chronicle, February 18, 2007
San Franciscans and other Bay Area residents enjoy some of the nation's highest quality drinking water, with pristine Sierra snowmelt from the Hetch Hetchy reservoir as our primary source. Every year, our water is tested more than 100,000 times to ensure that it meets or exceeds every standard for safe drinking water. And yet we still buy bottled water. Why?
Depleted aquifers and water roulette
Redding Record Searchlight
February 8, 2007
Water is for fighting over, said Mark Twain. As the world's population grows, this will be even truer in the future. Demands for water already exceed the planet's finite supply. Water diverted for new uses steals from existing uses. Add global warming, earthquakes, prolonged droughts, and ongoing loss of natural habitat such as streams and rivers, and the prospects are frightening.
California Trout challenges Nestle water bottling EIR
Mt. Shasta News, January 24, 2007
In a lengthy comment delivered through its attorneys, the nonprofit group California Trout claims the draft Environmental Impact Report for the proposed Nestle water bottling plant fails to comply with provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act.
Court says Nestle contract contains numerous ‘ifs'
Mt. Shasta News, January 18, 2007
With the Jan. 2 decision by the 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento reinstating the contract between Nestle and the McCloud Community Services District to build a water bottling plant in McCloud, questions remain about a potential renegotiation and how the California Environmental Quality Act will affect the contract and the plant's future.
Thousands of Nestle comments being reviewed
Mt. Shasta Herald, December 6, 2006
The public comment period on the proposed McCloud Nestle bottling plant draft Environmental Impact Report has ended and the task of sorting out the 4,000 comments and including them into the final EIR is underway. More...
McCloud GM follows Kampa out of town
Mt. Shasta Herald, December 6, 2006
Mike Stacher replaced Pete Kampa as the general manager for the McCloud Community Services District, now Stacher will replace Kampa as the Twain Harte CSD GM. When McCloud's three new CSD directors took the oath of office and took their seats for a Dec. 5 special meeting, the first order of business was beginning the search for a new GM. More...
McCloud, Calif. - The first Nestle sponsored “public meeting” held in the McCloud High School gym last Wednesday evening quickly devolved into antagonism, with McCloud community members openly ridiculing the evening’s moderator.
Atty. Gen. Brown Warns Nestle Of Legal Challenge To Water Bottling Plant: Brown Warns Nestle Of Legal Challenge To Water Bottling Plant
California Connections documentary: "Water Wars" - Watch it online!