Bay City Agrees To Sell Center Avenue Trees To Home Depot
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Water Is Hot Topic In West Michigan - When Evart gets done selling off the aquifir, will there be enough to float a boat?
The above headline is not true. Don't get overly excited.
But, you should pay attention . . .
If I told you that the City of Bay City was going to sell all the trees along Center Avenue to a California lumber company, to build condominiums in Los Angeles, would you care? Who do you think actually owns these Center Avenue trees? You? Me? The City of Bay City? State of Michigan? USA? The Planet Earth?
There's a similar situation developing on the West side of the state. But the resource for sale in Evart, Michigan is not trees . . . it's well water.
Ice Mountain/Perrier (owned by Nestle) needs bottled water to sell most everywhere on the planet.
The City of Evart, Michigan (30 miles East of Big Rapids on US-10) is offering to sell public well water to Ice Mountain/Perrier.
For the past two years, Ice Mountain/Perrier has attempted to suck water from another well in Mecosta County (Michigan), at the rate of 400 gallons per minute. This well is just North of Evart.
Late last year, after a 19-day trial in Big Rapids, a judge ordered Ice Mountain/Perrier to turn off their water sucking machines and to leave Michigan water alone. The judge ruled (and I agree with him) that the water used by the bottling plant would adversely affect nearby wetlands and streams in neighboring areas.
Ice Mountain/Perrier appealed. I guess they have deep pockets.
The Michigan Court of Appeals is allowing Ice Mountain/Perrier to suck water (at the lesser rate of 200 gallons per minute) while Ice Mountain/Perrier appeals.
In the meantime, Evart, Michigan - a town of 1,700 population in nearby Osceola County - has stepped up and offered to sell Evart City Water to the bottling company. This water flows from public wells near Twin Creek.
Good grief, Evart! It's the same water drain the judge said would aversely affect wetlands nearby lakes and streams. Is anyone paying attention to the environment?
Evart city officials argue that one of their current water customers, an auto-parts factory, is going to reduce consumption in the near future. Evart wants to sell the freed up water to Ice Mountain/Perrier.
Talk about "Robbing Peter to pay Paul."
This is not comparing apples to apples. Or is that water usage to water usage. It's one thing to sell water in your community to a manufacturer that provides jobs and returns the water back to the city for recycling.
It's a whole different argument to put that same water into bottles and ship it off to watering holes all over the planet. (At least I think it is)
Did I mention that Nestle, the owner of Ice Mountain/Perrier, has offered (can you spell bribe/) to build a second bottling plant in Evart as a carrot to get access to Evart's well water.?
A related story, published by the Associated Press, made this under-statement concerning Evart's play to market public city wellwater: "The offer could spark new debate over large-scale withdrawals in a state (Michigan) that has very few restrictions."
Yes it has . . . .I have a better idea. I think Evart should offer Ice Mountain/Perrier a chance to buy raw sewage. Even though it might affect Ice Mountain/Perrier's marketing strategy (no more sparkling spring references), it would at least be providing some semblace of service to the Evart community. It's the least Ice Mountain Perrier could do for Evart as theydrain the underground (water) Michigan aquifir.
And remember . . . If Evart can sell well water, then Bay City can sell the trees. (Why would I lie about something as important as this?)
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O. J. Cunningham |
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