Court Reverses Prior Ruling, Says Nestle Contract Valid. Town of McCloud Sells Soul… Cheaply.
By Tom Chandler on Jan 10, 2007 in Environment, News
It’s not as if selling yourself to a major multinational corporation is necessarily all bad, but why do it so cheaply?
In what will probably turn out to be bad news for fisheries and anglers:
In a reversal of an earlier decision, the third district court of appeals ruled Tuesday that the McCloud Community Services District did not violate environmental law when they reached an agreement to sell spring water to Nestle Waters North America.
For those not familiar with this whole mess, you can learn more at the McCloud Watershed Council Web site, where they detail the entire McCloud/Nestle water nightmare.
Suffice it to say that this isn’t good news for the McCloud and Squaw Creek, which will suffer some significant diversions from the springs that feed them.
Nestle’s ability to prey on an unsophisticated small town is cast into sharp relief once you find out that Nestle thoughtfully provided an attorney to help the McCloud Community Services District negotiate a contract with little public input - a contract that allows Nestle to buy water for 100 years without a single increase in the already-miniscule payment.
A lovely story. The Underground wonders when it’s open season on major multinationals (it’s always open season on small towns).
Source: Mount Shasta Herald, Weed Press, Dunsmuir News - Mt. Shasta News - News
pseudososa | Jan 11, 2007 | Reply
“Shit Flies in McCloud”
In a confusingly written article Wednesday, the McCloud Community Services District has told Dunsmuir News that their flow meter for its wastewater is mis-calibrated. It was calibrated to measure flow through an 8 inch pipe. The pipe is really 12″ in diameter. Details, details. So, after telling the readers that would cause the flow to be showing more than it is (never could understand the new math), the consultant to the District gave a best case/worse case senario. Best case, appeal the the Regional Water Control Board and ask that the maximum allowable discharge be increased from 300,000 gallons of sewage a day to 400,000 gallons a day. Worst case? Borrow money (70 grand) and split the holding ponds.
This is BEFORE NESTLE!
pseudososa | Jan 11, 2007 | Reply
While Nestle may decide to put in its own treatment facility, the company has mentioned that it is going to create a lot of jobs for the community of McCloud. Where the sewage from this increase in residence is going must not be their concern. After all, they are providing, as the Coca Cola/Spherion(bottled water in Mt. Shasta) help wanted ad in the News states, “Starting at $8.50 and hour Great opportunity with a fantastic company.” No mention of benifits.
Nestle is allowed take 1600 acre feet from the town’s water supply. This is a piddling amount, of course. That is FIVE HUNDRED TWENTY-ONE MILLION GALLONS of water, in round numbers! This does not take into account water that they “own” on their site. So the scenario of 300 to 500 truckloads of water a day going down Highway 89 has factual basis. Just what you need on your way to Ah Di Nah, no?
Has Nestle stepped up to the plate for any costs OBVIOUSLY increased by their presence? The number bantered around is that the Swiss giant will pay 300,000 dollars a year, no more, and that is their financial commitment to the town. For 99 years!
In a fit of generousity, Nestle did donate 500 bucks for hors d’oerves (along with Dr. Shivastrava- retired physician/water mogul-he had the county re-zone his home to commercial so that he could bottle water) to be served in Dunsmuir’s City Park in a Chamber-sponsored “get to know you” mixer.
We know you, Nestle. I’m going to Amazon right now and buy my copy of
“DUNE”
Tom Chandler | Jan 12, 2007 | Reply
Another in a recent string of brilliant comments/rants/monologues from Underground Readers.
I stand in awe of all of you.
Jessica | May 3, 2007 | Reply
Well, may not look good for the people in Mt Shasta.. Hark, I can hear the sound of all those thousands of trucks even as we speak….. Hauling that water to parts far out of the watershed and ecosystem…
Found this out in an article in the Mount Shasta paper this morning…. “Supreme Court rejects Nestle contract appeal
By Paul Boerger
Without comment, the California Supreme Court declined to review a January 2007 Third Appellate Court decision that reinstated the contract between Nestle and the McCloud Community Services District for Nestle to build a water bottling plant on the outskirts of the town.
The Appellate Court decision overturned a 2005 ruling by Siskiyou County Superior Court judge Roger Kosel who found the contract had violated CEQA in that a CEQA review should have been completed prior to an agreement with Nestle…….”
Sorry, Tom, don’t want to ruin your vacation, but we here in Maine are also waiting for the decision on our own Supreme Court hearing where Nestle/Poland Spring have sued the people. Here’s the You Tube version of the hearings… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v03Ziwj_tXc