Nestle Pure Life water 02
Nestle Pure Life water bottled in Stanwood, Mich.
(Cory Morse)
LANSING, MI -- The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is extending public review into next year on a proposal by Nestle Waters North America to significantly increase its Osceola County groundwater extraction.
On Tuesday, Nov. 22, the DEQ announced it was extending public comment until March 3, 2017 on Nestle's plans to increase pumping to 400 gallons-per-minute at White Pine Springs production well No. 101 near Evart.
It's the second expansion of public review. On Nov. 3 -- the original end date for public comment -- the DEQ extended the feedback window until Dec. 3 after MLive published an Oct. 31 story about Nestle's groundwater bid.
The latest extension allows another 90 days to submit public comment.
The DEQ is still attempting to schedule a public hearing, which the agency said would be held sometime before March 3.
The DEQ Water Resources Division is considering changes to its public notification procedures regarding permitting decisions after the original notice on the Nestle proposal went unnoticed until nearly the last minute.
The plans were only published in DEQ Environmental Calendar, a bi-weekly clearinghouse for permitting decisions and official business that is available online but not widely read by the general public.
Nestle, which is spending $36 million to expand its Ice Mountain bottling plant in Stanwood, wants to pump up to 576,000 gallons-per-day from a well located between two coldwater trout stream tributaries of the Muskegon River.
Nestle already increased the well's daily pumping rate in 2015 but needs DEQ approval to max out the withdrawal capacity under the Section 17 of the Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
The increase would bring the well's groundwater pumping rate to a level that previously sparked a 9-year lawsuit. The case resulted in a 2009 settlement limiting how much water Nestle could pump from its Stanwood wells.
Nestle and the DEQ Water Resources Division staff says the increase won't significantly impact nearby surface waters. The Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation, who previously sued Nestle, said the proposal demands an independent hydrologic review.
Nestle Waters spokesperson Christopher Rieck said the company welcomes the extended review and is "strongly committed to open, transparent dialogue."
"We have studied the well at Osceola Township and its surrounding environment extensively. Nearly 100 monitoring points are installed throughout the area, providing ongoing data regarding ecosystems and water resources," Rieck said.
"The data shows that our spring sources can sustainably meet the levels required by our application, designed to help meet the steady increase in demand for bottled water experienced in Michigan and across the U.S."
To comment on the Nestle proposal, email Carrie Monosmith at deq-eh@michigan.gov, or send mail to Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Drinking Water and Municipal Assistance, P.O. Box 30241, Lansing, Michigan 48909. Comments must be received by March 3, 2017.