Nestlé Foes use Ballot to Block Water Exports

Opponents of a Nestlé water bottling plant proposed for the tiny Oregon town of Cascade Locks have filed a local ballot measure that would prohibit any bottled water exports from the county

The group believes it’s the first measure of its kind nationwide to attempt to prevent local water rights from being sold to a corporation, and hope it may set a precedent for other communities.

“When your county is facing record drought conditions, the idea of sending millions of gallons of water a year out of the county in mountains of plastic piled on the back of trucks seems particularly irresponsible,” said Ed del Val, one of the measure’s chief petitioners and president of the newly formed Local Water Alliance PAC.

A controversial deal to build a bottling plant in the economically depressed city has been in the works for more than six years.

It centers on state-owned water rights at Oxbow Springs, near Cascade Locks in the Columbia Gorge. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife uses the water for a nearby salmon hatchery.

The newest version of the deal calls for the state to permanently trade spring-water rights for water from the city’s well water system. Nestlé then would build a plant in Cascade Locks to bottle the spring water.

The city and ODFW have agreed to the plan, but it still requires approval from the Oregon Water Resources Department.

Opponents have written letters to the governor and staged hunger strikes. Earlier this month, tribal groups staged a rally at the Capitol, saying the deal infringes on treaty rights.

“The recent drought has really highlighted that communities that don’t have control of their water supply won’t have control of their future,” chief petitioner Pamela Larsen, a Hood River mother of two, said. “We’re sure that Nestlé will fight our measure tooth and nail, but we think Hood River County voters are going to agree that our water is our future and we need to protect it.”

In a statement, Nestlé said it was reviewing the petition and its implications for the Cascade Locks project.

"From our perspective, water—whether tap, filtered, or in a bottle—is a smart thing to drink," said Dave Palais, natural resource manager for Nestlé Waters North America. "Bottled water bans remove one of the most healthful beverage choices. Studies show if bottled water weren’t available, 63% of people would switch to soda or another sugary drink, which use more water, more packaging and more ingredients. In a time when the United States is facing an obesity epidemic, people should be drinking more water, whether it comes from a bottle or the tap.”

Source: Statesman Journal

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Taxonomy

• Water Export
• Economics Of Water Resources Projects
• Water Resources Management
• Bottled Water
• Water conditioning