If you're new to the site, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed, follow us on Twitter or sign up for our email newsletter. Thanks for visiting!
Nestle Waters North America wants to pay Chaffee County about one-hundredth of one cent per gallon to haul water to Denver, filter and bottle it in plastic known to have negative health effects, and then sell it (some of it to us) for over $2.00 per gallon. It will not be as safe as our own tap water, and we will pay for burying the decomposing plastic in our landfill. If that sounds like an absurdity that will cost the County far more than the benefits, you are right, and there is still time to prevent it.
Nestle passed the first of several hurdles in its plan for industrial extraction of water from Chaffee County, when the County Commissioners approved the 1041 Application on September 23, allowing Nestle to construct an extraction facility at Bighorn Springs, lay a 5-mile pipeline along County-maintained roads, and build a loading dock at Johnson Village. If Nestle can pass other significant hurdles, it will set a precedent for future, no-local-benefit water extraction elsewhere in Chaffee County and Colorado.
The negative effect on Chaffee County is many-layered. The area is a nationally recognized premier site for residences, due in part to its scenery, including the agricultural Valley floor as well as the surrounding mountains. Of equal importance is the small-town setting of Salida and Buena Vista. Growth depends on the availability of water and land, which are the two most important assets this County has. A multinational corporate giant will protect its upstream water supply and quality by blocking development wherever it perceives a threat. Nestle has an established reputation for abusing local rights, and having a corporate bully in the Valley will NOT be a selling point to potential residents.
The State Water Engineer must issue a temporary permit for water extraction before Nestle can pump any water. All parties with water rights that may be affected may participate as objectors in the hearing that the State Water Engineer will hold. Interestingly, the County will be one of those objectors. A similar process (but with greater scrutiny) will occur if Nestle seeks a permanent decree in Water Court.
Another way to stop Nestle is through the 1041 Permit’s provision for the public to challenge the decision of the Commissioners through judicial review of the terms. To do this, there must be sufficient evidence of public interest. Full-house attendances during the summer hearings substantiate both interest and opposition, with more than 90% of the public testimony against the project.
The City of Aurora must agree to several 1041 Permit stipulations before approval. These include documentation and disclosures of water use that may affect water availability in Chaffee County. It is not at all clear that Aurora will consent to this inspection on behalf of a corporation with Nestlé’s global reputation for duplicity.
There are still ways to stop it from happening. Support bottle deposits! Drink our own good tap water! Get more information.
Ed Berg
Recent Comments