The Council of Canadians and Wellington Water Watchers – with legal representation from Ecojustice – are challenging Nestle Waters Canada through Ontario’s Environmental Review Tribunal process.
Last October, Orangeville.com reported, “Nestlé Waters Canada is questioning why (Ontario) plans to impose mandatory reductions on the amount of water it can draw from its Hillsburgh well (near Guelph) during times of moderate drought. In late September, the (Ontario) Ministry of the Environment (MOE) renewed Nestlé’s water taking permit in Hillsburgh until August 2017. (But that permit) forces Nestlé to reduce water consumption during Level I and Level II drought declarations.”
In mid-October, Nestle filed a ‘notice of appeal’ on this condition to the MOE.
This February 19, we learned that Nestle and the MOE have struck a deal which would settle their appeal by removing all restrictions on Nestle pumping during droughts.
On April 22, the Council of Canadians submitted its affidavit which argues that the settlement is inconsistent with the public trust doctrine and must be rejected.
Yesterday, CBC reported, “The tribunal is expected to render a decision sometime in the next couple of weeks.”
To see the CBC TV National report on this challenge (which interviews our friend Mike Nagy from Wellington Water Watchers, but only notes ‘other environmentalists’ rather than the Council of Canadians and Ecojustice by name), please watch above or go here.
For more, please read:
NEWS: Groups challenge Nestle water takings during drought
UPDATE: Council and allies challenge Nestle water takings in Ontario
NEWS: Nestlé appeals mandatory reductions in bottled water takings during drought
