DEQ rules on new Nestle water withdrawal

Michigan Department of Environmental Quality says Nestle’s plan to take groundwater from an Osceola County site would not harm the resource.

The final determination was announced Friday in the first ruling under Michigan’s new water withdrawal law.

Nestle Waters North America proposes to withdraw water for bottling from a well located one-quarter mile west of 100th Avenue and one-quarter mile south of 9 Mile Road in Osceola Township in Osceola County. The proposed pumping rate is 150 gallons per minute or 216,000 gallons per day.

The withdrawal would divert water discharged into Twin Creek and Chippewa Creek, both designated trout stream. Under new legislation, adverse impact on the resource occurs when withdrawals reach a rate harming fish populations. That benchmark for the watershed is 691,000 gallons per day.

“We did our own studies of Twin Creek and Chippewa Creek,” said DEQ spokesperson Robert McCann.

DEQ data, as well as data from the Department of Natural Resources was used in the impact analysis, according to McCann.

Given the proposed usage level, Nestle’s petition to the DEQ was voluntary and there was no requirement regarding public input.

“The law doesn’t require a public comment period,” McCann said. “It was something we did intentionally because we understand it is a new process.”

DEQ’s report on the proposal states public concerns questioned the sufficiency of information and unavailability of evaluations used to make the decision.

Comments will continue to be accepted and responses provided though March 15, McCann said.

For the city of Evart, which has been courting Nestle with the hopes it will be the site of the company’s proposed Ice Mountain bottling facility, Fridays’ announcement was positive.

“It has to be good news for Nestle and the city of Evart,” said City Manager Roger Elkins.

“They’ve talked about back-up or diversity of water sources. It would mean there is an additional back up in Evart,” he said. “I think it’s a reaffirmation the DEQ is saying they don’t see a problem.”

Ice Mountain already purchases water from the city of Evart’s municipal system for bottling at its Stanwood plant.

Environmentalist Rhonda Huff didn’t welcome the DEQ’s decision. Huff is a spokesperson for Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation. The grassroots conservation group is embroiled in a legal suit with Nestle over the company’s groundwater withdrawals in Mecosta County.

“Chippewa Creek is in my backyard. Yesterday I had an eagle and a hawk there. If they (Nestle) do anything to harm that ecosystem, it is an atrocity,” Huff said.

Huff also had harsh criticism for the state.

“Who’s the watchdog for citizens?” she asked. “The citizen can’t afford to take international companies to court to show their negligence. I thought the DEQ was set up as a watchdog and I think they are being negligent.”

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