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(( HOLD FOR STINGER ))
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BRIAN:..RIGHT NOW--THE
MICHIGAN D-E-Q IS DECIDING
WHETHER OR NOT áNESTLE SHOULD
BE ABLE TO PUMP MORE WEST
MICHIGAN
WATER.SUE:..AND FOR THE FIRST
TIME--TARGET 8 IS TAKING OUR
OWN LOOK AT THE COMPANY.LYNSEY
MUKOMEL IS HERE NOW... AFTER
LEARNING A LOT MORE ABOUT THE
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THEY'RE
MAKING OFF OF THE GREAT LAKES
STATE.
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LYNSEY:..BRIAN AND SUE -- THE
BILLION DOLLAR COMPANY IS NOW
ASKING TO PUMP 400 GALLONS OF
WATER PER MINUTE IN OSCEOLA
COUNTY.BUT THAT APPLICATION
REQUEST WITH THE M-D-E-Q IS
LIKE áDEJA VUá WHEN COMPARED
TO WHAT THEY TRIED TO DO 15
YEARS AGO IN MECOSTA COUNTY --
WHICH MANY PEOPLE PROBABLY
DON'T KNOW ABOUT.
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UNLESS YOU LIVE IN THE AREAS
WHERE NESTLE PUMPS THEIR
WATER, YOU PROBABLY DON'T
REMEMBER THE áLESS THAN WARM
WELCOME THEY RECEIVED WHEN
THEY SET THEIR SIGHTS ON
MICHIGAN SPRING WATER.ARCHIVED
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES SHOW
SCEPTICISM TO THE COMPANY'S
MOVE TO OPEN AN ICE MOUNTAIN
BOTTLING PLANT IN MECOSTA
COUNTY, THEN EVENTUALLY
PUMPING WELLS IN MORTON AND
OSCEOLA TOWNSHIPS.WE WERE
THERE AS THE COMPANY FIRST
UNVEILED FINAL PLANS IN 2001
áNAT FROM ARCHIVE BY 2003 THE
COMPANY HAD PERMISSION FROM
THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY TO PUMP
400 GALLONS PER MINUTE FROM
THEIR MORTON TOWNSHIP SITE --
"DUBED SANCTUARY SPRINGS". THE
MICHIGAN CITIZENS FOR WATER
CONSERVATION SUED NESTLE THAT
SAME YEAR, ARGUING THEIR
PUMPING WAS HARMING THE
ENVIRONMENT.AFTER A 3 WEEK
CIVIL TRIAL, THE JUDGE AGREED
WITH THE GROUP -- CITING
EXPERT TESTIMONY SHOWING A 4-6
INCH DROP IN WETLANDS
SURROUNDING THE AREA IN JUST 7
MONTHS. 011156 HE REJECTED
FLATLY THE COMPUTER REJECTED
FLATLY 011156 HE
MONTHS.AREA IN JUST 7
MONTHS. 011156 HE REJECTED
FLATLY THE COMPUTER MODEL OF
NESTLE FOR LOVE OF WATER
PRESIDENT AND TRAVERSE
CITY-BASED ATTORNEY JIM OLSON
REPRESENTED THE CONSERVATION
GROUP DURING THAT LAWSUIT.MOST
RECENTLY HIS GROUP WORKED WITH
WATER EXPERTS TO PUT TOGETHER
A 113 PAGE REPORT DISPUTING
NESTLE'S CURRENT APPLICATION
WITH THE STATE..010856 THEY
DON'T HAVE ANY FIELD DATA TO
SUPPORT THAT IT'S JUST A MODEL
CALIBRATION INTERNAL TO THE
MODEL WHICH IS NOT TIED TO
REALITY OLSON SAYS WHAT
THEY'RE TRYING TO DO NOW IN
OSCEOLA COUNTY IS NO DIFFERENT
THAN WHAT THEY TRIED TO DO IN
MECOSTA COUNTY IN THE EARLY
2000S.THAT LAWSUIT AND COURT
DOCUMENTS CONTINUED UNTIL 2009
- WHEN THE CONVERSATION GROUP
AND NESTLE FINALLY AGREED THE
COMPANY'S áYEARLY AVERAGE WILL
REMAIN AT 218 GALLONS PER
MINUTE AT THE SANCTUARY
SPRINGS SITE.STATE LAW
REQUIRES THE D-E-Q TO CHARGE
JUST 200 DOLLARS A YEAR FOR
NESTLE TO PUMP AND BOTTLE
MICHIGAN'S WATER.IF YOU BREAK
THAT DOWN BASED ON THEIR
CURRENT APPLICATION TO
INCREASE TO 400 GPM IN OSCEOLA
COUNTY -- NESTLE WILL PAY JUST
55 CENTS A DAY FOR OVER HALF A
MILLION GALLONS OF WATER -- IF
THE STATE APPROVES THE
INCREASE..IF HOMEOWNERS ONLY
PAID 55 CENTS A DAY FOR THEIR
WATER -- WATER BILLS WOULD BE
ABOUT 17 DOLLARS A MONTH.NOW,
ACCORDING TO THEIR 2016 ANNUAL
REPORT THE COMPANY MADE 7
POINT 4 BILLION DOLLARS IN
WATER SALES.PROFITS THAT ARE
BAFFLING TO MARY ANN BORDEN,
WHOSE PROPERTY BACKS UP TO
TWIN CREEK IN OSCEOLA
TOWNSHIP.181240 I COULDN'T SAY
IT POLITELY HOW IT MAKES ME
FEEL BECAUSE THAT'S JUST
CRIMINAL SHE'S LIVED IN THE
SAME HOUSE SINCE SHE WAS 8.
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175854 WHEN I REALIZED WHAT
THEY WERE GOING TO DO THEY
WERE GOING TO BOTTLE THIS
WATER AND SEND IT SOMEWHERE
ELSE 5902 IT WAS LIKE SOMEONE
HIT ME IN THE SOLAR PLEXUS I
JUST KINDA WENT UGHHER 15
YEARS OF DISTATE FOR THE
COMPANY LED TO BORDEN SPEAKING
OUT AT THE D-E-Q'S PUBLIC
HEARING IN APRILAT THE TIME OF
THAT PACKED HEARING AT FERRIS
STATE UNIVERSITY - THE
DEPARTMENT HAD RECEIVED CLOSE
TO 400 THOUSAND RESPONSES TO
NESTLE'S CURRENT INCREASE
APPLICATION..BUT THAT NIGHT
THE DEQ TOLD US THE LAW ISN'T
WRITTEN IN A WAY TO LET PUBLIC
OPPOSITION IMPACT THEIR FINAL
DECISION.: 171857 THE NUMBER
OF COMMENTS ARE SOMETHING WE
CAN'T REVIEW UNDER THE LAW
UNDER THE LAW OUR PRIMARY
RESPONSIBILITIES ARE TO LOOK
AT WHETHER WATER IS SAFE TO
DRINK AND WHETHER OR NOT IT
WILL HAVE AN ADVERSE IMPACT ON
THE RESOURCES IN THE AREA
NESTLE HAS CONSISTENTLY SAID
THEIR PUMPING HAS NO ADVERSE
IMPACT, CITING 16 YEARS OF
RESEARCH AND MONITORING.BUT
BORDEN SAYS THAT'S DIFFERENT
THAN WHAT SHE'S SEEING IN HER
OWN BACK YARD.180546 IF
THEY'VE BEEN MONITORING FOR 16
YEARS? I MEAN WHAT ARE THEIR
THOUGHTS? WHEN THEY SEE THIS
HAPPENING? DO THEY THINK OH
THIS IS OK?
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LYNSEY:..WE ASKED THE D-E-Q
WHY THAT PUMPING AVERAGE
AGREEMENT IN 2009 DIDN'T SET A
PRECEDENT FOR NESTLE'S
OPERATIONS STATE WIDE -- THE
D-E-Q TOLD US WE SHOULD
CONSULT A LEGAL EXPERT.
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