Speaking of #Rewilding, some new signs went up at nearby #CaliforniaFields in Southern #Maine! Looks like the #MaineDepartmentOfInlandFisheries finally acknowledged that there are some #EndangeredSpecies there, and put the pressure on #BlueTriton / #PolandSprings / #BigWater -- who had planted a bunch of pine trees in the field (to hide the drilled wells that they claim are "springs"). But now they have to take them down and restore the grasslands! (And it's full of #Milkweed which the #MonarchButterflies love!)
#GrasshopperSparrow #UplandSandpiper #NorthernHarrier, #HornedLark, #Kestrel, #Meadowlark, #Bobolink
#BigWater
Some would recall the President-Elect’s eloquent words of comfort to the 2018 #ParklandSchoolShooting victims when he said that he would “run in there even if I didn't have a weapon” to take down the #ActiveShooter and save the day.
Today the #PresidentElect wrote that #California “incompetent pols have no idea how to put” the #LAFires out, that “[t]hey just can’t put out the fires. What’s wrong with them?” He didn’t mention #FirstResponders. He gave no words of comfort to those that are suffering through this catastrophe.
But I can’t wait for #Jan20 because – like the ending of the Ukraine and Gaza conflicts and #MakingEggsCheaper – #President #Trump will get the #CaliforniaFires out on #DayOne of his #NewAdministration! Let him run in there amongst the flames in his #InagurationDay super-suit and quench the #wildfires with his famous #BigWater !
(See the award-winning photograph of the once-and-future president travelling incognito in northern California looking for the special #VeryLargeFaucet – that only he knows how to operate: for only he can save #LA – below:)
#MakeWaterGreatAgain #Sarcasm #USPol #USPolitics #CaliforniaPol #CaliforniaPolitics #LosAngelesFires
This is the irrigation canal out near #Deniliquin.
There is a serious amount of water on the move here.
No wonder the sign says "no swimming".
Nevada jury hands $5.2 billion verdict against Vegas company in #BottledWater liver damage lawsuit
Updated 3:25 PM EDT, October 24, 2024
"Juries have previously delivered separate verdicts against the company, awarding plaintiffs almost $3.1 billion in June,$130 million in February and $228 million in October 2023. Juries have been told that tests found #RealWater contained #hydrazine, a chemical used in #RocketFuel that may have been introduced during treatment before bottling."
While @WorldBank, #BigWater as@suez @Veolia @cocacola @nestle keep promoting water privatization or so-called Public-Private-Partnership , UK is learning the lesson and hopefully taking measures: End an experiment that has failed. Editorial in @guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jun/12/the-guardian-view-on-water-privatisation-end-an-experiment-that-has-failed
#LocalActivism does work! A couple of years ago, #PolandSpring tried to double their extraction in my town during a time of #SevereDrought in #Maine. Myself and my neighbors fought back -- with maps of the aquifers showing how everything was connected -- and how #BigWater tried to alter the maps to reflect their interests! Always keep in mind -- the more a corporation *sponsors* local causes, the more they have to be accountable for. It's usually #GuiltMoney designed to skew the public in their favor!
Poland Spring withdraws request to extract more water in Hollis after residents object
By David Dahl
September 9, 2022
The request came as Hollis and the rest of Maine suffered a drought. Townspeople expressed their outrage at public meetings.
#ClimateChange #WaterIsLife #CorporateColonialism #BlueTriton #WaterExtraction
Inside #PolandSpring’s Hidden Attack on #WaterRules It Didn’t Like
By Hiroko Tabuchi | Oct. 24, 2023 | New York Times
"When #Maine lawmakers tried to rein in large-scale access to the state’s #freshwater this year, the effort initially gained momentum. The state had just emerged from #drought, and many Mainers were sympathetic to protecting their snow-fed #lakes and #streams.
“Then a #WallStreet-backed giant called #BlueTriton stepped in.
“BlueTriton isn’t a household name, but its products are. Americans today buy more bottled water than any other packaged drink, and BlueTriton owns many of the nation’s biggest brands, including Poland Spring, named after a natural spring in Maine that ran dry decades ago.
“Maine’s bill threatened BlueTriton’s access to the #groundwater it bottles and sells. The legislation had already gotten a majority vote on the committee and was headed toward the full Legislature, when a lobbyist for BlueTriton proposed an amendment that would gut the entire bill.
“'Strike everything,' starts the proposed amendment, which was written in a Word document that contained a digital signature showing that it had been created by Elizabeth M. Frazier, who represents BlueTriton and is one of the most influential #lobbyists in Maine. The document was e-mailed by Ms. Frazier to lawmakers in the days after the committee vote.
“After BlueTriton’s intervention, the committee pulled the bill back. The company’s actions, which haven’t previously been reported, were described to The New York Times by three state legislators. The Times also reviewed several of the e-mails sent by Ms. Frazier as well as the Word document.
“'We couldn’t believe it. Their amendment strikes the entire bill,' said Christopher Kessler, a Democratic state representative who represents South Portland and a committee member who voted to advance the bill. 'Because all this happened behind closed doors, the public doesn’t know that Poland Spring stalled the process.'
“Bottlers have faced increasing scrutiny for the millions of throwaway #plastic bottles they produce, the marketing message that their products are safer or healthier than tap water, and for a business model in which they buy freshwater, often at low cost, only to sell it back to the public at much higher prices.
“And while the bottled-water business doesn’t use nearly as much groundwater as the nation’s thirstiest industries, like agriculture, the pressure on bottlers is building as awareness grows of the stress that intensive pumping can place on local water supplies. A Times investigation this year revealed that many of the aquifers that supply 90% of the nation’s water systems are being severely depleted as overuse and #GlobalWarming transform fragile #ecosystems.
“BlueTriton has been caught up in issues of local opposition and water use, and not only in Maine. The company also is fighting for access to water sources in numerous states, including #Michigan, #Colorado and others.
“In response to detailed questions, BlueTriton on Monday pointed The Times to a new page on its corporate website. 'After thoughtful consideration, BlueTriton opposes the proposed legislation,' the page says, because the bill 'would make it unaffordable for any large-scale water purchaser, including Poland Spring, to invest in infrastructure and operations.'
“Ms. Frazier didn’t respond to detailed questions.
“Groundwater use is regulated by states, not the federal government, which means there is little national coordination, monitoring or management of a vital natural resource. Maine’s bill seeks, among other things, to put a seven-year limit on contracts for large-scale freshwater pumping by corporations that ship water out of Maine, and to make the deals subject to local approval. That would block BlueTriton’s current efforts to lock in contracts up to 45 years long for pumping water.
“'We couldn’t believe it,' State Representative Christopher Kessler said of the lobbying effort.
“Industries and other interest groups routinely try to influence lawmaking, and there has been no suggestion that Ms. Frazier violated any rules. But it seemed 'unusual procedurally' for a corporation to propose rewriting an entire bill after it had already advanced within the Legislature, said Anthony Moffa, associate professor at the University of Maine School of Law.
“State senator Mark Lawrence, a Democrat who heads the committee considering the bill, said the committee would consider amendments proposed by any interested person or party. In Maine, 'a lot of the legislation that’s proposed is written by lobbyists, companies, different people like that,' he said.
“Mr. Lawrence also said that, at the same time the amendment was proposed, several members had begun to express fresh concerns that the State Legislature would be setting overly stringent curbs on contracts.
“BlueTriton finds itself pitted against local water boards, environmentalists and other groups across the country.
“In Colorado, environmental groups have been battling a 10-year contract that BlueTriton renewed with a semi-arid county to pump water from the Upper Arkansas River Basin, a region affected by historic drought.
“In #California, BlueTriton has publicly criticized and vowed to fight a cease-and-desist order issued by the state’s water board to stop diverting millions of gallons of water from a spring in San Bernardino County.
“In Michigan, lawmakers have proposed legislation that would close a loophole that enables BlueTriton and other commercial water users to pump water from the protected Great Lakes watershed. Known as the 'bottled-water loophole,' it allows for water to be used this way if it’s in containers that are 5.7 gallons or less.
“On its new corporate page, BlueTriton said 'there is no evidence of adverse impacts to the aquifer' in Colorado, and that California’s ruling 'negatively impacts every water agency and farmer in California that relies on groundwater, and in doing so, indirectly harms every Californian.'
“BlueTriton is a major presence in Maine, drawing water from eight locations around the state. It is currently trying to lock in a new contract of up to 45 years to pump water in Lincoln a former mill town.
“That would be BlueTriton’s second decades-long contract in the state, the kind of deals that would run afoul of the State Legislature’s proposed 7-year cap. The company’s pursuit of these deals, and the uncertainties of how climate change may affect Maine’s water supplies in the future, is what inspired the legislation, said Margaret M. O’Neil, the Democratic state legislator who introduced the bill.
“'We’re seeing our communities get locked into these contracts that are going to last, basically, the rest of my lifetime,' which is too risky, she said, considering climate uncertainties.
“In 2016-17 and in 2020-22, Maine experienced significant drought, followed by wet years. The state has also started seeing what scientists call 'snow drought.' As winters warm because of #ClimateChange, #snowpack and groundwater recharge can dwindle.
“John Mullaney, a hydrologist with the USGS's New England Water Science Center, said that a warming climate meant Maine was likely to experience more variability, with stronger rains but also worsening drought. 'The question is, what will we be able to do in 50 years,' he said. 'There might be changes that need to be made, including reducing groundwater extraction.'
“Industry groups emphasize that Maine still has ample groundwater and that bottled water accounts for only a small portion of its use compared to practices like irrigation. They also stress bottled water’s value in emergencies when drinking water is disrupted.
“And in Maine, BlueTriton has a powerful local ally: local water utilities, which say the revenue generated by selling water to bottlers helps keep costs down for everyone else.
“'Turning away a customer that’s seeking to pay money to the utility because of an alleged problem with extraction would be contrary' to ratepayers’ interests, said Roger Crouse, a board member at the Maine Water Utilities Association. 'If they have a contract that could be expiring in seven years, and the math doesn’t work out, they’re going to have to invest their money somewhere else.'
“Still, hydrologists warn that bottled water should not be discounted as an additional strain on aquifers and watersheds, as well as on residential wells. Last month, the US Geological Survey began its first-ever study of how the activities of the bottled water industry result in changes to groundwater levels, spring flows and water quality. 'Withdrawals, no matter what the use, influence movement of groundwater,' Cheryl Dieter, a hydrologist who is leading the study, said in an interview.
“BlueTriton itself is a creation of Wall Street. It is owned by the private equity funds One Rock Capital Partners and Metropoulos & Co., which paid $4.3 billion in 2021 to buy Nestlé’s North American bottled-water business.
“In Maine, some neighbors of BlueTriton, like Natalie DiPentino, are skeptical of the company for more personal reasons.
“Ms. DiPentino, who lives near Lincoln, can’t prove it but wonders if pumping by Poland Spring contributed to a crisis in her home during a drought in 2017, when her well ran dry along with those of several neighbors. Her family had to haul buckets of river water to flush the toilet, she said. Stores nearby ran out of bottled water.
“After learning about BlueTriton’s proposed 45-year contract at its Lincoln facility, she led calls for a public hearing, arguing that deals were being cut behind closed doors and that Poland Spring would be paying too little, $15,000 a month, for millions of gallons of water. 'You don’t know how badly you need water until you don’t have it in your house,' she said.
“The hearing she sought is now scheduled for next month."
Full article:
https://waterwatch.org/inside-poland-springs-hidden-attack-on-water-rules-it-didnt-like-nyt-102423/
[Paywall] Inside #PolandSpring's Hidden Attack on #WaterRules It Didn’t Like
When #Maine lawmakers tried to tighten regulations on large-scale access to water, the brand’s little-known parent company set out to rewrite the rules.
October 24, 2023
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/7bI9V
#BlueTriton #BigWater #WaterIsLife #WaterCrisis #Nestle #PolandSpring
Threat of massive drinking #WaterCrisis looms over American regions: ‘There will be parts of the U.S. that run out’
Story by Wes Stenzel, November 27, 2023
"A new study from The New York Times has revealed that substantial, consistent damage is being done to the #groundwater supply in the United States, which has massive negative implications for #agriculture, #DrinkingWater, construction, and more.
"What’s happening?
"In the past four decades, more than half of all American groundwater sites have been substantially depleted, as more water has been taken out than replenished naturally.
"Additionally, 40 percent of all locations have hit an all-time low.
"Pumping out groundwater disrupts layers of different substances below the Earth’s surface, as the ground can settle into the area where the water is taken out and take up space where it would ordinarily replenish.
"The New York Times sees a lack of regulation as one of the biggest issues regarding groundwater use. Additionally, The Times claims there is very little significant research and data tracking on a countrywide scale.
"Why is groundwater use important?
"Groundwater is essential to agriculture, and the depletion of the resource could fundamentally disrupt crop yields in the coming years in states such as Kansas, where the natural groundwater cannot support the agricultural industry anymore, according to The Times. Meanwhile, more arid states like California, Texas, and Utah are seeing widespread infrastructural damage to roads and the ground due to overpumping. Phoenix does not have enough groundwater in certain areas to construct new homes."
#WaterIsLife #WaterExtraction #BlueTriton #Nestle #PolandSpring #BigWater
@primonatura And water extraction by #BigWater (like #PolandSpring / #Nestle / #BlueTriton) only makes the arsenic levels worse!
#WaterIsLife #Maine
Wall Street is thirsty for its next big investment opportunity: The West's vanishing water
Cibola is one place few Americans have ever heard of, which made it all the more surprising when an investment firm bought nearly 500 acres there.
By Lucy Kafanov, CNN, Mar 22, 2023
"'These companies aren't buying up plots of land because they want to farm here and be a part of the community, they're buying up land here for the water rights,' said Holly Irwin, a #Cibola resident and #LaPaz County district supervisor.
"'#Greenstone is going to make millions at the expense of what it's going to do to our communities in the future and the precedence it's going to set,' said Irwin. 'We are in the midst of an extreme drought, our communities need this water. At some point, the state has a responsibility to protect the people that are here and to protect our water and not cater to those that are buying property for the water rights to make millions off of it to benefit metropolitan areas.'"
#WaterIsLife #BigWater #Corporations #Capitalism #VanishingWater #WaterRights #WallStreet #InvestmentFirms
Read more:
https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/wall-street-investment-buying-land-us-west-water/1501347
What activism have I done lately? Well, last year, I helped to stop #BigWater's desire to double their extraction of a Maine aquifer during a drought -- by researching water table maps and presenting them at a public meeting. But beforehand, I made sure the local media knew about what was going on. One of the most effective techniques to help elicit change is to get the local media involved. Even in this day and age -- and especially in this day and age! Don't be afraid to speak your truths. Yeah, you might piss off some folks (especially if they rely on extractive industries for income), but you may find out you have allies that you didn't even know you had!
#Maine #WaterIsLife #WaterExtraction
Poland Spring withdraws request to extract more water in Hollis after residents object
The request came as Hollis and the rest of Maine suffered a drought. Townspeople expressed their outrage at public meetings.
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