The Department of Environmental Quality has approved a permit for Nestlé Waters North America to boost the amount of groundwater it pumps from its well in Osceola County, near Evart.
Nestlé is now pumping up to 250 gallons per minute from that Evart well – water that is bottled under its Ice Mountain label.
The new permit allows it to pump up to 400 gallons a minute.
The DEQ approval came despite overwhelming public comment opposing the Nestle permit.
James Clift, policy director for the Michigan Environmental Council (MEC), joined Stateside today to discuss what the MEC thinks the DEQ should have included in the permit. He also explains the purpose of the public comment period, and what he calls the “silver lining” of the DEQ’s decision.
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