Success: Nestle Under Review for Bottled Water Permit Violation

Target: Chief of U.S. Forest Service Thomas Tidwell

Goal: Praise the decision to investigate Nestle’s bottled water division in San Bernardino.

The U.S. Forest Service has finally decided to review Nestle’s bottled water division after many protests to Nestle’s unethical extraction of water in drought-stricken California, including petitions like ForceChange’s Stop Nestle from Bottling Precious Water During Drought. The company will be reviewed for withdrawing millions of gallons of water under a permit that expired in 1988. At last, Nestle will be held accountable for its irresponsible business practices.

This decision was made after a lawsuit was filed against the Forest Service by environmental groups enraged by Nestle’s expired permit. The Forest Service had at that time allowed Nestle to continue extracting the water while the permit was under local review. However, now the review will proceed under the firmer standards of the National Environmental Policy Act. If Nestle passes the review, it will receive another permit valid for five years. If the review is rigorous and thorough, however, Nestle’s destructiveness should come to the surface.

Nestle has a history of exploiting resources for profit. If the people of California need to cut back on their water usage, then so does Nestle. A company that does not believe that water is a human right should not be operating in a state with a limited water supply. The first step in bringing justice against Nestle has been made with the Forest Service’s review. Sign to thank the chief of U.S. Forest Service for making this review happen.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Chief Tidwell,

Thank you for deciding to review Nestle’s bottled water division. When the entire state of California is suffering from drought, no company should be allowed to extract water under a permit that expired over 28 years ago. This decision is the very beginning of what could be the end of Nestle’s unethical business practices in California.

Nestle has been harmful to both the environment and the people of California. The bottling plant itself disrupts the wildlife around it, damaging the watersheds and increasing pollution. Furthermore, the company extracts millions of gallons of the state’s limited water supply and sells it back to the people at inflated prices.

A portion of the bottles are even shipped out to other states that don’t need the water as desperately as California does. This can not be allowed to continue; please make sure that the review is as thorough as possible. What Nestle is doing is wrong, and the review will prove that.

Again, thank you for deciding to take action against Nestle’s water bottling division. The people of California (and everyone who supports them in this cause) are truly grateful.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo credit: Raphael Schön