U.S. Water News Online
STANWOOD, Mich. -- Ice Mountain Spring Water Co. said it has begun bottling water from the Great Lakes basin, which environmental groups have gone to court to stop because there are no limits on how much water the company can withdraw.
Company officials say fears about the $100 million plant in western Michigan are unfounded. But separate lawsuits have been filed to stop the plant from shipping water out of the Great Lakes basin spring and to change the state's permitting process for such an operation.
Before the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality approved the bottling plant, environmental impact tests were run on the spring source located about 12 miles northeast of the plant. But the state has no limits on the amount of water that can be taken from the ground.
Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation, a group of residents who live near the plant about 50 miles north of Grand Rapids, sued last year, and are seeking legislation giving the state more control over water resources.
Plant spokeswoman Deborah Wudyka said the company, which has self-imposed a daily withdrawal limit of 575,000 gallons, performed exhaustive studies to ensure the operation does not deplete water sources or harm the local ecosystem.
``That is very central to what this company is all about,'' Wudyka said.
The plant started bottling May 4, but has taken only about 114,000 gallons per day as only one of five production lines is operating.
Terry Swier, president of the water conservation group, said she believes the company began operations early because of the pending lawsuits. She said the legal action will ``answer the question, `Whose water is it?' I think that's the bottom line for me.''
Three American Indian tribes in Michigan also sued three months ago in federal court. They argue the operation violates the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 and requires approval from the governors of other Great Lakes states.
Ice Mountain Spring Water is a division of Nestle Waters North America, which until a few weeks ago was called Perrier Group of America Inc.
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