US Uncut reports this is the first US contract to grant water access for such a long period of time and activists are concerned it will set a dangerous precedent for future corporate contracts on natural resources.
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| Photo: Food & Water Watch - Maine / Facebook |
Source/Credit: RT News
By RT News | May 13, 2016
Nestlé has secured the rights to the groundwater under the Maine town of Fryeburg for up to 45 years, thanks to the efforts of the state’s Tea Party Republican Governor Paul LePage.
Maine’s Supreme Judicial Court quashed activists’ efforts to appeal the deal by ruling in favor of Nestle on Thursday.
The advocacy organization Food and Water Watch along with local resident Bruce Taylor appealed the 2014 decision, claiming the long contract is outside the authority of the water district and highlighting the fact that three commissioners had to recuse themselves due to ties with Nestlé.
@Governor_LePage of Maine just helped @Nestle gain control of Fryeburg's water supply. Corruption at its finest. https://t.co/r52QXbU7NA— Alyssa (@MadamOvarys) May 13, 2016
US Uncut reports this is the first US contract to grant water access for such a long period of time and activists are concerned it will set a dangerous precedent for future corporate contracts on natural resources.
“Today’s decision by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court paves the way for a private corporation to profit from a vital public resource for decades to come,” Food & Water Watch’s Nisha Swinton said in a statement.
My neighbors in Fryeburg, ME lost their appeal, no longer have control over their own groundwater. Boycott Nestle. pic.twitter.com/6i5qG3LSGh— Fenbeast (@Fenbeast) May 13, 2016
The judge found no “abuse of discretion or violation of a statutory or constitutional provision” in the contract between Nestlé and the Fryeburg Water Company or the approval granted by the Maine Public Utilities Commission, Portland Press Herald reports.
Nestlé subsidiary Poland Spring has been granted the right to take as much as 603,000 gallons (2,283,000 liters) of water a day.
Before this, Poland Spring was free to withdraw an unlimited amount of water with no contract. The new contract makes Nestlé pay the town $12,000 a month.
@Evenflow226 It's better than Moland Springs (Seinfeld reference. Sorry, I guess a Cheers reference would have been more appropriate).— Ted_Leshinski (@Ted_Leshinski) April 18, 2016
So disappointed to find out the Moland Spring merger didn't happen #Seinfeld#FortMcMurrayEscapepic.twitter.com/Ltpkh3xtX6— WhiteBread (@vswhitebread) October 2, 2014
“The proposed contract was created to provide long-term certainty to both (Fryeburg Water) and Poland Spring, and to benefit ratepayers,” Mark Dubois from Poland Spring said, describing the deal as a “reliable source of income” for Fryeburg.
Swinton, however, insisted: “The arrangement to sell off hundreds of thousands of gallons of water a day to Poland Spring, a subsidiary of Nestlé waters North America, is a profound loss for Maine’s citizens. Water is a basic right. No private company should be allowed to rake in profits from water while leaving a local community high and dry.”
Speaking to US Uncut, Nickie Sekera of Community Water Justice explained how the town water supplier is run by a private company: “They can engage in contracts with corporations such as Nestlé much easier. It benefits their shareholders and Nestlé because it’s not publicly run and managed, which helps them get what they want.”
Nestle not ONLY steals water out of the mouths of children..... https://t.co/IxzRy3Ndak— ALL THINGS VEGAN (@lacebrablack) April 16, 2016
The Portland Press Herald uncovered Nestlé’s connections with the Maine Public Utilities Commission in 2013. It found all three of the commissioners were tied to Nestle.
Chairman Thomas Welch represented Nestlé Waters “for several years, including during the 2008 reorganization of Fryeburg Water” during his time at Pierce Atwood law firm.
Commissioner David Littell was a partner at Pierce Atwood which lobbies for Nestlé, until 2003. Commissioner Mark Vannoy worked on 20 Nestlé Water Projects “including 15 at Poland Spring facilities in Maine” as an executive and project manager for Wright Pierce.
Bruce Taylor says that "two wrongs don't make a right" The Maine gov should appoint a alternate commissioner #Nestle#AJAMStream— Julio Ricardo Varela (@julito77) September 27, 2013
All three were forced to recuse themselves following pressure from activists.
Timothy Schneider, representing the ratepayers also worked as an attorney at Pierce Atwood, the firm which helped with the case.
Paul LePage, “America’s craziest governor,” wants in on the Trump administration https://t.co/sWxm79ktlppic.twitter.com/onfuohRbkI— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) May 5, 2016
Controversial governor LePage appointed three retired judges to replace the commissioners through a new state law, after refusing to accept Littell’s recusal, saying he didn’t believe it was a legitimate reason.
The appeal pointed to the recused commissioners’ involvement in “evidentiary rulings” and questioned the experience of the new commissioners in making decisions without participating in the proceedings.
Maine's Governor Paul LePage, no stranger to controversy, now faces impeachment proceedings: https://t.co/f0am9cOqPb#mepolitics— Nicholas Graves (@realnickgraves) February 6, 2016
LePage recently faced impeachment efforts which accused him of “using state money to intimidate his political opponents,” The Atlantic reports.
The Republican leader was the second governor to endorse Donald Trump, after Chris Christie.
Paul LePage, “America’s craziest governor,” wants in on the Trump administration https://t.co/sWxm79ktlppic.twitter.com/onfuohRbkI— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) May 5, 2016
LePage has made a number of racially-charged comments, claiming Obama “hates white people” and describing drug dealers as “guys with the name D-Money, Smoothie, Shifty. These type of guys. They come from Connecticut and New York, they come up here, they sell their heroin, then they go back home. Incidentally, half the time they impregnate a young, white girl before they leave, which is a real sad thing because then we have another issue we've got to deal with down the road."
He also called to bring back the guillotine for drug traffickers in January.
The group is handing out "free water" from the tap saying, " it won't be free for long" #KOIN6News#Nestle protest pic.twitter.com/vorsZw2dtY— Jennifer Dowling (@JenDowlingKoin6) April 28, 2016
Nestlé
“Nestlé has a long history of bullying communities into selling off public assets for private profit. Unfortunately, they’ve won this round,” Swinton said.
The world’s largest food company is known for plundering natural resources for its own gain. In California, it is accused of bottling large volumes of groundwater during droughts.
Nestlé also plans to grab more water rights in Oregon and Pennsylvania, according to US Uncut.
2 coffee giants admit possibility of slave labor in their supply chain https://t.co/MrZKUY3wRmpic.twitter.com/J03VHI559X— RT (@RT_com) March 6, 2016
The Swiss giant was heavily criticized for its use of child labor in Cote D’Ivoire and forced labor in Thailand, as well as its infamous baby milk scandal which irresponsibly discouraged women in the developing world to abandon breastfeeding for expensive baby formula, leading to malnutrition and death.
A global boycott of Nestlé continues to this day.
Remember Nestle boycott in 70s? Blamed bad H2O used 2 make formula..now privatizing/selling https://t.co/OT14xQCnAhhttps://t.co/paACGuGxDa— Marika (@MarikaDiana) April 28, 2016
Volunteering for the Nestlé boycott was my first political action as a teenager. Nestle in the baby formula biz: http://t.co/Ci5Vupf2— Larry-bob (@larrybobsf) April 23, 2012
BOYCOTT @Nestle for blocking GMO labeling! @VirginiaInCal@rosevine3@truthglow@kavn@pgoeltz@LLaws2@fuller_derekpic.twitter.com/lkiSE3qXkK— Republican Jesus (@TheGOPJesus) May 12, 201
Read original post here: USA: Nestle gets control of town’s groundwater for up to 45 years
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