Groups call on attorney general to stop Nestle from taking Michigan water for huge profit

Nestle pays next to nothing to use Michigan water

LANSING, Mich. – Environmental groups are calling on the attorney general to stop Nestle from taking Michigan water almost for free and turning it into a huge profit.

Residents were outraged when Nestle struck a deal that allowed it to pump 1.1 million gallons of water per day from Michigan for a total of $200 per year.

The debate over Pure Michigan water and Nestle is raging on, and now Attorney General Dana Nessel is being asked to get in on the fight.

On Monday, the Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation, which is fighting back against Nestle, sent a formal complaint to Nessel, arguing that, “Over the course of the last 20 years, the state of Michigan, through several administrations and under the blatant influence of multinational corporations and their lobbyists, has allowed the waters of this territory to be a playground for profit-seeking corporations, such as Nestle and Enbridge. It’s time to put a stop to this violation of the public trust mandate of our constitution.”

Environmentalists said they can tell damage has been done from Nestle pumping water out to bottle at the pumping sight near Evart, Michigan.

Local 4 Consumer Investigator Hank Winchester reached out to Nessel for her reaction. You can see it in his full video above.


About the Authors

Hank Winchester is Local 4’s Consumer Investigative Reporter and the head of WDIV’s “Help Me Hank” Consumer Unit. Hank works to solve consumer complaints, reveal important recalls and track down thieves who have ripped off people in our community.

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.

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