Millions of Gallons of Water are Being Pumped Out of California from Federal forests by private bottlers without Federal oversight
In the midst of an ‘historic drought’ millions of gallons of pristine water on Federal land is being pumped by private corporations for private profit with little or no oversight or transparency.
“While the Nestlé news in California has garnered a significant amount of media attention, this is hardly the only instance where bottled water companies have taken precedence over local ecosystems.
Crystal Geyser Water Company opened a facility in Mount Shasta in 2014, much to the dismay of local residents, without performing an environmental impact report. Like Nestlé, Crystal Geyser is not closely monitored by the Forest Service but submits water usage reports. According to the Forest Service, the impact of the company’s water use on groundwater supplies and aquifers is “unknown.” Apparently, “unknown” is the new “okay.”
According to the National Resources Defence Council, “Other springs in national forests across the country have been tapped for use by bottled water companies, including Nicolet National Forest in Wisconsin, Ocala National Forest in Florida, Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee, Chattahoochee National Forest in Georgia, Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina, and Sumter National Forest in South Carolina. Information on the consequences is hard to come by.”
Read more in detail here and what you can do about:
Millions of Gallons of Water are Being Pumped Out of California for the Worst Possible Reason
