Thanks to the Freedom of Information Act, answers to the Michigan DEQ's questions about the new Evart bottled water project are now available. Here's a sample:
The company intends to begin bottling in July, and they project to bottle 8.3 million gallons in 2005.
2006 projection: 42.6 million gallons
2007 projection: 84.2 mg
2008: 124.1 mg
2009: 168.6 mg
"Nestle Waters North America owns and markets 15 regional branks of bottled water beverage products. The company is the recognized spring water leader in the bottled water industry. Each brand, which has its own distinctive character, source and heritage, is generally sourced and marketed in one of the major regions of the U.S. and Canada. Ice Mountain is the company’s Midwest brand, whose primary source is located in Mecosta County, Michigan, and whose market area is the Midwest states of the U.S. Other Nestle Waters brands are marketed in the Southeast, East, Northeast, Southwest, Northwest, West, and South central U.S. as well as in Canada.
Nestle Waters estimates that at least 90 percent of its Ice Mountain brand is purchased in the Midwest states of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, by end consumers through a variety of retail outlets."
Note: even if this is true, "Midwest states" does not translate to the Great Lake Basin, and a significant share of the water is lost to the Basin. More importantly, Nestle is claiming a huge profit from and ownership of a public resource.
More soon.
Posted by Dave at May 15, 2005 12:03 PM