People Are Furious at Nestlé for 'rape' of Michigan Water 120 Miles From Flint

Nestlé's planned expansion of a plant in Michigan is sparking protests and calls for boycott. 

The Swiss bottled water giant is planning to nearly double the amount of groundwater it pumps from a plant opened in 2009 in Osceola Township, Michigan, The Guardian reported. If approved, Nestlé will begin pumping water at a rate of 400 gallons-per-minute. 

Nestlé is expected to pay just $200 annually for access to the water. In 2015, Nestlé Water reported sales of $7.8 billion. 

The increase in pumping is tied to Nestlé's $36 million capital investment in its Ice Mountain bottling operations in Stanwood, Michigan, which the company announced in late October. 

While a review of the proposed pumping increase by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) did not find evidence that the change would negatively impact the surrounding environment, many Michigan citizens see the proposed deal as a betrayal. 

"Please, please, please reconsider allowing Nestlé to pump additional gallons of water from their facility near Evart," a woman who identified herself as being from Newaygo, Michigan wrote to regulators, in a message provided to the Guardian. "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."

Read full report at: Business Insider

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