Ontario renews Nestlé permit to extract groundwater for sale

[kickingfrog]

I posted this in another thread, but it needs one of it's own.

 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...tional/Ontario/

 

 

Or posted below:

 

 

Ontario renews Nestlé permit to extract groundwater for sale

MARTIN MITTELSTAEDT

 

From Friday's Globe and Mail

 

April 18, 2008 at 4:19 AM EDT

 

The Ontario Ministry of the Environment has renewed a controversial permit granting a unit of Nestlé Canada Inc. the right to continue extracting up to 3.6 million litres of groundwater a day near Guelph to sell as spring water.

 

The application for the permit by the food and beverage giant prompted thousands of letters of complaint to the government and has been a focal point of local opposition to the water bottling industry.

 

Environmentalists had been seeking to have the permit withdrawn, or scaled back, and objected to the government's practice of giving water away for free to those who have permits, including bottling companies that then sell the water they take.

 

While the ministry doesn't charge for actual water removals, it does levy modest cost-recovery fees to defray expenses for issuing and overseeing its permit system.

 

"I'm disappointed that they did not reduce their volume, nor did they address the whole issue of giving a public resource away to a private enterprise for free," said Mark Goldberg, co-founder of Wellington Water Watchers, a local activist group.

 

The province levies a one-time $3,000 processing fee on complicated water permits that need a scientific evaluation. Beginning next year, it will charge an additional fee of $3.71 for every million litres permit holders withdraw, or $13.36 a day if Nestlé takes its full allotment.

 

"The quantity is outrageous and the fees are ridiculously low," said Jode Roberts, a spokesman for Ecojustice, formerly the Sierra Legal Defence Fund, a legal adviser to Wellington Water Watchers, which has estimated that if Nestlé bought municipal water in Guelph it would pay about $2,700 a day.

 

The province released a statement yesterday saying it had issued the permit for a two-year period "with strict conditions to protect existing water users and the natural environment."

 

Nestlé said in a news release it was disappointed the province didn't agree to give it a five-year permit, as it had requested. Nestlé has owned the site, located in Aberfoyle, since 2000.

 

Although the ministry said studies show Nestlé's water extraction isn't affecting others in the area or local surface waters, it decided to grant only a two-year permit and is requiring the company to perform further monitoring to verify the finding of no harm to the local environment.

 

The company's pumping has exerted enough pressure to cause surface water in a creek near its site to be drawn underground, but Nestlé has maintained that the effect is of no consequence because it hasn't affected flow rates of the stream.

[wacky tambaqui]

The company's pumping has exerted enough pressure to cause surface water in a creek near its site to be drawn underground, but Nestlé has maintained that the effect is of no consequence because it hasn't affected flow rates of the stream.

 

Now this is where there could be potential problems with "potable" water.

 

All surface water nowadays is infected with the giardia and it doesn't matter where you go to take any water from any stream, be it high in the mountains or in the most sparcely populated places.

 

That kind of pressure for extracting water could cause contaminants to be leached from the said creek and/or from other ground pollution existing in the vicinity.

 

Has there been any scientific study on this, or are they waiting for people to start getting sick from drinking that brand of bottled water? I'm sure we'll all know soon enough.

[Maverick]

This is ridiculous. "No, of course extracting 3.6 million liters of water a day doesn't affect others in the area or local surface waters. I live in a make believe world where everything is soft and cushy. I pee beer!" Give me a break!

 

It's all a bunch of Bull if you ask me. The government is just in it for the cash.

[Guest lundboy]

This is ridiculous. "No, of course extracting 3.6 million liters of water a day doesn't affect others in the area or local surface waters. I live in a make believe world where everything is soft and cushy. I pee beer!" Give me a break!

 

It's all a bunch of Bull if you ask me. The government is just in it for the cash.

 

 

The government isn't making much money off of it considering how much Aberfoyle water Nestle sells worldwide. $3000 for a permit is pocket change off that. The only other place the province would make money off it is on PST on each bottle sold.

 

We aren't the only ones getting screwed by Nestle, just look at the money they make off of water and the other towns affected:

 

http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/13063..._small_us_town/

 

Or this:

http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/wi/011204_great_lakes.htm

 

Or this:

http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/20...e_wants_to.html

 

As if Nestle will be "monitoring" their affect on the water system. They will just hire consultants (paid by them) to write reports the way they see fit.

 

Between Nestle and Vivendi, our water resources are quickly becoming privatized. They have even been contracted out around the world to run municipal water treatment facilities (privatized).

 

These companies are very dangerous, considering they are quickly gaining water "rights" around the world, and are world monopolies.

 

Yep soon, very soon... we are all going to see what the five food monopolies have in store for us, hint: you are already seeing it now at the grocery stores.

 

Nestle, Cargil, ConAgra, Monsanto, Vivendi, Kraft, Unilever.

 

You can't get away from them, between them they control 90% of the food supply.

Edited April 19, 2008 by lundboy

[kennyman]

IDIOTS!!! I at least hope they're employing a bunch of people.

[OhioFisherman]

LOL some here pay a buck or more a liter for water here, you should be getting your gas for free?

[bassfighter]

Nestle has always been a controvertial company for years.

 

For years, They constantly tried to promote their powdered milk to the poorer third world country, where mom were not encourage to use their natural breast producing milk. Other indirect harm of using powered milk includes the use in unsanitized water when mixing the powdered milk. Babies are not getting the proper anti-bacterial agent or nutrients to combat disease.

 

We should be thankful that our tap water are considered the cleanest in the world, and yet everyone seemed to be to paranoid of bacteria or get the hang of drinking bottled water. Research shows that more kids are going to get cavities down the road due to drinking bottled water, which lacks Flouride.

[jonnybass]

Research shows that more kids are going to get cavities down the road due to drinking bottled water, which lacks Flouride.

 

You want your water flourinated?

[forrest]

The company's pumping has exerted enough pressure to cause surface water in a creek near its site to be drawn underground, but Nestlé has maintained that the effect is of no consequence because it hasn't affected flow rates of the stream.

 

If a company (or anyone) justifies or defends their actions by referencing an obvious falsehood they are doing evil (yep, that is what I said: evil). Too bad lying is not illegal.

 

If I know a product is Nestle's I do not buy it. Think about how they are sucking KW (and other areas)dry next time you take a sip of a Nestle product:

http://www.nestle.ca/en/products/index.htm

+ Nestle Pure Life

+ Aberfoyle springs water

+ Nestlé PURE LIFE, Nestlé Aquarel, Perrier, Evian, Montclair, Vittel, Contrex,S. Pellegrino, Acqua Panna, Levissima, Vera, Viladrau, Arrowhead, Poland Spring,

Santa Maria, La Vie, Deer Park, Al Manhal, Ozarka, Hepar, Aberfoyle.

 

+Here is an official boycott page

 

forrest

[forrest]

Gotta hand it to Nestle...they have one of the better tasting bottled waters, and at bargain prices. Some of that other stuff, ie: Dasani, have fancy names, cost more, and as they admitted themselves, is nothing more than triple distilled tap water. And it does't taste as good as Nestle.

 

Maybe its the plastic that makes it taste different. Hmmm dirty leeching, non-biodegradable plastic.

 

To the general audience:

Do yourself and everyone a good turn: Put water from home in a Kleen Kanteen (with a stainless steel cap) and forget about the bottle water.

Just do it.

 

forrest

[Guest lundboy]

Maybe its the plastic that makes it taste different. Hmmm dirty leeching, non-biodegradable plastic.

 

To the general audience:

Do yourself and everyone a good turn: Put water from home in a Kleen Kanteen (with a stainless steel cap) and forget about the bottle water.

Just do it.

 

forrest

 

 

This time I agree with you, except everyone should do themselves a favour and buy a distiller, or a reverse osmosis system , or a Berkey gravity filter and use it on their tap water before they put in their Kleen Kanteen.

 

http://www.berkeywater.com/start.main.html

 

http://www.kleankanteen.com/

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23504373

 

http://www.fluoridealert.org/limeback.htm

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressReleas...8%2BPRN20080102

 

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2...aAYiE4gKd8-2wBA

 

I know, I know.... all a big conspiracy. Nothing to it, all Bull. OK thats exactly what they said about Bisphenol A in plastics when people like me started spreading the word 6 years ago.

 

It's interesting that almost all bottled water contains fluoride at least .02 ppm. Same with any juice from concentrate, pop/sodas because they are reconstituted with municipal water.

(the first documented use of fluoride on humans was back during WWII by the Nazis just in case anyone wants to look it up)

Edited April 19, 2008 by lundboy

[forrest]

This time I agree with you, except everyone should do themselves a favour and buy a distiller, or a reverse osmosis system , or a Berkey gravity filter and use it on their tap water before they put in their Kleen Kanteen.

.

.

.

(the first documented use of fluoride on humans was back during WWII by the Nazis just in case anyone wants to look it up)

 

I use a Brita, I would rather use a reverse osmosis or other system but the ones I have seen are all plastic inside....so i use my Brita plastic (its actually Ok as plastic goes) in my fridge. Know any stainless steel systems?

 

What have the Nazi's got to do with anything?: Nazi's worked with it so it must be bad? Floride has its up and downs, its known.

 

forrest

[fish_finder]

Its terribly sad any way you look at it!! Look at the water levels we're seeing all across Ontario in river....and even the Great Lakes. Cap this.....Cap that.........use this.......but not that.........but yeah, you can still take it, thats OK. Things are gonna dry up pretty quick everywhere!

[Guest lundboy]

I use a Brita, I would rather use a reverse osmosis or other system but the ones I have seen are all plastic inside....so i use my Brita plastic (its actually Ok as plastic goes) in my fridge. Know any stainless steel systems?

 

What have the Nazi's got to do with anything?: Nazi's worked with it so it must be bad? Floride has its up and downs, its known.

 

forrest

 

Brita is not capable of removing fluoride, it even says:

"The Brita filter keeps a healthy level of fluoride, a water additive that promotes strong teeth"

 

Get a Berkey http://www.berkeywater.com/Big_Berkey.html , they come in stainless steel and are one of the best gravity filters you can get. Make sure you order the fluoride cartridges as well http://www.berkeywater.com/Other_Products/PF_2.html .

 

Now as for the Nazis and fluoride, they experimented on the prison camp inmates with it. It was used to make them more docile.

 

"The first occurrence of fluoridated drinking water on Earth was found in Germany's Nazi prison camps. The Gestapo had little concern about fluoride's supposed effect on children's teeth; their alleged reason for mass-medicating water with sodium fluoride was to sterilize humans and force the people in their concentration camps into calm submission. (Ref. book: "The Crime and Punishment of I.G. Farben" by Joseph Borkin.) "

 

http://www.infonews.co.nz/news.cfm?l=1&t=0&id=17791

 

http://www.waterloowatch.com/Index_files/F...d%20Kidneys.pdf

 

I.G. Farben was so synonymous with Nazi death camp experimentation that it was broken up after the war to become Bayer & Agfa.

 

Sodium fluoride is also a key component of rat poisons and SSRI drugs such as Prozac and Zoloft (which are now also being found in tap water in high dosages).

 

It is almost impossible to avoid fluoride intake altogether, but you can reduce it greatly by avoiding canned or bottled drinks and filtering your tap water.

 

Aren't I just a bundle of joy?

Edited April 19, 2008 by lundboy

[OhioFisherman]

I read that book LundBoy pretty interesting read, amazing some of the things they got away with. It`s just business as usual?

[Tarzan's Jane]

Aren't I just a bundle of joy?

 

Actually... an amazing source of info....not sure how you are able to enjoy life knowing all that you do....

[Guest lundboy]

Actually... an amazing source of info....not sure how you are able to enjoy life knowing all that you do....

 

It just makes me appreciate it all that much more while I have it, knowing that there are powers at work right now trying to take it all away.

Edited April 20, 2008 by lundboy