During asparagus season last May, Caroline Winter visited Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation (MCWC). She's a journalist from Bloomberg Businessweek. She interviewed the president, Peggy Case, and others. Her focus was Nestlé profiting millions, bottling water from Mecosta and Osceola Counties. This article came out in a full-page color spread on September 21, 2017.
The Bloomberg Businessweek article is a great summary of this struggle between people and their right to water, on the one hand. Huge corporate businesses that make huge profits while destroying aquifers, are on the other. Peggy Case says, "It has to do with the privatization of water and taking the people's water and making a profit from it. An exorbitant profit. A ridiculous profit when there are people with no water at all or people with poisoned water. We don't believe water should be owned by anybody. It's a public right."
Yet Nestlé has filed a legal challenge against Osceola Township. This small rural township said no to Nestlé building another pump station to grab more water. Even though MDEQ has not yet determined whether they will allow Nestlé to grab more water. At a DEQ Hearing in April, they did not have enough "scientific" information available. Michigan's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) told Nestlé to provide more by November 4th. Then the DEQ will determine whether Nestle gets to take more water from Osceola Township.
In the meantime, Osceola Township has to defend its decision against Nestlé on November 15. The legal defense of Osceola Township has already cost $30,000 as a result. Click here to read more about our support of Osceola Township.
MCWC is hoping for water justice. Click here to read more about Nestlé water taking from Michigan, including Action Items.
Bloomberg Businessweek's Caroline Winter researched Nestlé during asparagus season this last Spring. Did you know asparagus is 93% water? And you are 60% water. Don't let Nestlé privatize water in Michigan.
Click here to read Caroline Winter's article in Bloomberg Businessweek.