Re: “Bottling plant looks to Orting after snubbing by Enumclaw” (TNT, 7-13).
While in Olympia last week, I learned of Enumclaw’s refusal to allow Nestle to build a water bottling plant there.
In Kennebunk, Maine, my home, we are organizing to make sure Nestle does not acquire our water. The very fact that Nestle, a foreign company, is making its insidious way across our country (26 plants) alarms me.
We are a town of 10,000 and are hearing of many other small towns approached by Nestle officials offering $250,000 plus a pittance of quadruple the payments we, as customers, make. Little by little, our country’s small-town water supplies are being exploited by a company interested in maintaining its source of profit, not our employment needs, our future sustainability issues or anything else.
Orting Mayor Cheryl Temple is correct in hearing what Nestle has to say. Meanwhile, it is important to do in-depth research. An informative start would be with the situation in Rangely, Maine, where a lawsuit is ensuing against the Land Use Regulation Commission there.
Right now, plastic containers are no doubt an issue. But the real issue is allowing a town’s water to be sold to a company which will market the water worldwide. Can anyone predict what a town’s needs will be 30 years from now?
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