BRIAN:..FIRST TONIGHT -- WE
CONTINUE OUR INVESTIGATION
INTO BOTTLED-WATER GIANT
NESTLE--AS THE STATE ASSESES A
PERMIT REQUEST FOR THEM TO
PUMP AND PROFIT OFF-OF
EVENáMOREá OF MICHIGAN'S
WATER..MARLEE:..AT 6 WE TOLD
YOU ABOUT THE MILLIONS OF
GALLONS THEY ALREADY TAKE FOR
THEIR ICE MOUNTAIN PLANT IN
STANWOOD -- FOR JUST 200
DOLLARS A YEAR.NOW, TARGET 8
INVESTIGATOR LYNSEY MUKOMEL IS
BACK WITH WHAT ELSE SHE'S
LEARNED ABOUT THE COMPANY.
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LYNSEY:..NESTLE FIRST MOVED TO
MICHIGAN IN 2001 AND HAS MADE
BILLIONS OFF OF MICHIGAN'S
SPRING WATER -- ALL WHILE
SAYING THE MILLIONS OF GALLONS
OF GROUNDWATER THEY'RE PUMPING
DOESN'T HURT THE ENVIRONMENT.
SO WE TOOK A LOOK FOR
OURSELVES.
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124010 I SHOULD'VE LEFT MYSELF
SOME BREADCRUMBS REMEMBER HOW
I GOT DOWN HERE THE LAND
BEHIND MARY ANN BORDEN'S HOUSE
LOOKS A LOT DIFFERENT THAN
WHEN SHE WAS A YOUNG GIRL
POSING FOR A PHOTO ALONG HER
FAMILY'S FAVORITE PLAYGROUND
-- TWIN CREEK.
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180502 IN MY OWN BACKYARD THE
TWIN CREEK THAT I GREW UP WITH
HAS NOT CHANGED FOR DECADES IT
WAS THE SAME CREEK THAT WENT
FROM POINT A TO POINT B YEAR
AFTER YEAR 180523 RECENTLY NOW
THERE ARE HUGE MUD BARS IN THE
MIDDLE OF THIS LOVELY LITTLE
STREAM AND THE WATER STRUGGLES
TO GO AROUND THEM AND THEN
THERE'S THE THICK GRASSES THAT
HAVE COME ALONG FOR YEARS
NESTLE HAS SAID THEIR CLOSE
MONITORING DATA RENDERS NO
NEGATIVE IMPACT ON AREAS WHERE
THEY PUMP WATER.ONE WAY THEY
MONITOR LEVELS IS BY PLACING
MEASURING TOOLS DIRECTLY IN
THE CREEKS - LIKE THIS ONE
BEHIND BORDEN'S HOUSE IN TWIN
CREEK. (124624 LEVEL MONITOR)
BASED ON THE WATER EROSION ON
THE DEVICE OUR CAMERA CAUGHT-
THE CREEK áUSED TO SIT AT
ABOUT 7 INCHES.BUT DURING OUR
VISIT TO BORDEN'S IN MID-APRIL
- AFTER THE WINTER THAW - THE
WATER LEVEL WAS AT 3 AND A
HALF.THERE'S NO WAY TO PROVE
THAT DIFFERENCE IS SOLELY
BECAUSE OF NESTLE'S PUMPING --
BUT BORDEN WORRIES THE CREEK
WILL ONLY GET LOWER IF THEIR
REQUEST IS APPROVED BY THE
D-E-Q.180701 THE LAWS SEEM TO
BE ON THEIR SIDE AND SO IT'S A
LONG PROGRESS TO CHANGE THE
LAWS AND WE NEED TO GET PEOPLE
IN LANSING ON OUR SIDE THAT
ARE ABOUT THE FACT THAT THIS
IS THE GREAT LAKES STATEIT
TURNS OUT THE ELECTED
OFFICIALS OF THE GREAT LAKES
STATE HAVE RECEIVED DONATIONS
FROM NESTLE AND ITS LOBBYISTS,
THOUGH.WE TRACKED THE
DONATIONS THROUGH FOLLOW THE
MONEY DOT ORG -- A NONPARTISAN
NONPROFIT THAT MONITORS
CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS FROM
AROUND THE COUNTRY. THEIR
DONATIONS ARE NOT LARGE
AMOUNTS, BUT THE TIMING MAY BE
STRATEGIC.THEIR DATABASE SHOWS
NESTLE WATERS NORTH AMERICA
HAS MADE 5 DONATIONS TOTALING
6-THOUSAND 250 DOLLARS IN
MICHIGAN -- MOST OF WHICH HAS
GONE TO MICHIGAN'S FOURTH
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT IN THE
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
THAT DISTRICT SEAT-- CURRENTLY
HELD BY REPRESENTATIVE JOHN
MOOLENAAR -- COVERS WHERE
NESTLE HAS PUMEPD WATER SINCE
THE BEGINNING OF THE CENTURY.
BUT THEIR DONATIONS DON'T
START UNTIL THE 2010 ELECTION
-- MOST OF THE MONEY GOING TO
SEATS THAT OVERSEE OSCEOLA
COUNTY -- AND AROUND THE SAME
TIME PUMPING RESTRICITONS WERE
FINALIZED IN MECOSTA COUNTY.
FOLLOW THE MONEY DOT ORG ALSO
MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO SEE WHICH
GROUPS LOBBY ON BEHALF OF
CORPORATIONS. ONE OF NESTLE'S
MAIN PLAYERS IS MUCHMORE,
HARRINGTON, SMALLEY AND
ASSOCIATES. THEY'VE DONATED
ALL OVER THE STATE FOR A
VARIETY OF CLIENTS FOR DECADES
-- BUT THEIR WEBSITE SAYS THEY
WORKED STRATEGICALLY TO GET
APPROVAL FOR NESTLE'S ICE
MOUNTAIN BOTTLING FACILITY IN
STANDWOOD.THEIR SECOND BIGGEST
POLITICAL DONATION EVER -
ACCORDING TO THE SITE - WAS
MADE TO ATTORNEY GENERAL BILL
SCHUTTE FOR HIS RELECTION
CAMPAIGN IN 2014. 14 THOUSAND
913 DOLLARS.IN 2010 THEY
DONATED 5 THOUSAND DOLLARS TO
HIS CAMPAIGN.BUT LET'S REWIND
A FEW DECADES TO WHEN SCHUTTE
FIRST WENT ON DUTY. IN 1994 HE
WAS ELECTED AS A STATE SENATOR
FOR MICHIGAN'S 35'TH DISTRICT
- WHICH OVERSEES OSCEOLA
COUNTY AND EVENTUALLY NESTLE'S
WHITE PINE SPRINGS. IN 1998
MUCHMORE HARRINGTON SMALLEY
AND ASSOCIATES MADE THEIR
áFIRST EVER POLITICAL
CONTRIBUTION TO MICHIGAN'S
35-TH DISTRICT AND SCHUTTE'S
REELECTION. 22-HUNDRED 50
DOLLARS. SCHUTTE MAINTAINED
THAT POST TIL 2002 -- AFTER
THE PUMPING OPENED.GRANTED -
THESE ARE NOT EARTH SHATTERING
AMOUNTS AND THE DEQ APPROVED
NESTLE'S PLANS AT THE
BEGINNING OF THE NEW CENTURY -
NOT THESE POLITICIANS. BUT WE
ASKED BOTH NESTLE AND THE DEQ
IF THEIR HAND IN MICHIGAN'S
POLITICAL COOKIE JAR IS
ETHICAL. NESTLE TOLD US THEIR
DONATIONS STOPPED AFTER THEIR
POLITICAL ACTION COMITTEE
DISOLVED. STATE DOCUMENTS SHOW
THAT WAS FINALIZED IN APRIL
2015.THE D-E-Q SENT US THIS
STATEMENT "AS A GOVERNMENT
AGENCY, THE DEPARTMENT'S
DECISION-MAKING ABILITIES ON
PERMIT APPLICATIONS ARE BASED
SOLELY ON THE CRITERIA
ESTABLISHED BY LAW, WITHOUT
RESPECT TO ANY OUTSIDE
INFLUENCES LIKE DONATIONS,
POLITICAL OR OTHERWISE."FOR
BORDEN - IT'S NOT A QUESTION
OF ETHICS - INSTEAD SHE
QUESTIONS HOW MUCH MORE HER
BACK YARD WILL CHANGE WHILE
NESTLE PROFITS. 181312 IT DOES
REALLY IMPACT ME 16 IT'S LIKE
WATCHING AN OLDER FRIEND
THAT'S GETTING TIRED AND
SLOWING DOWN AND PREPARING TO
DIE
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LYNSEY:..THERE'S NO TIMELINE
FOR WHEN THE DEQ WILL MAKE
THEIR FINAL DECISION -- BUT
IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE
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KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON. IF YOU
MISSED OUR REPORT AT 6 YOU CAN
HEAD TO WOOD TV DOT COM TO SEE
OUR ENTIRE REPORT ON NESTLE.
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