Maine's Water is Not For Sale. Rally and Press Conference in Kennebunk Press Advisory Contact Emily Posner 207-930-5232 Maine Communities Demand Protection of Groundwater Supply from Nestlé's Poland Spring WHAT Southern and Western Maine communities and their allies have united  in their efforts against Nestlé's water mining in the region. They will rally and  hold a press conference to support the people of Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Wells and Ogunquid  who are opposed to the Trustees of the Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Wells Water District  signing a contract with Nestlé. Contract would allow Nestle to pump millions of gallons of water for bottling from recently preserved highly sensitive ecological land. WHO Maine communities from southern and western Maine impacted by Nestlé's water mining activities and their allies.  Representatives from Fryeburg, Shapleigh, Newfield, Parsonsfield, Kingfield, Kennebunkport, Hollis, Piere Pond, and Wells will present their town's experiences with Nestlé.  All are invited.  Free and open to the public. WHERE Outside of Water District office 92 Main Street Kennebunkport WHEN June 25th 2pm WHY Globalization and the deepening world water crisis has come to Maine, rich in fresh water. Nestlé Waters North America—a subsidiary of Nestlé S.A., the largest food processing corporation in the world – has come to profit from selling Maine’s water  as Poland Spring to people from away. “Nestlé  wants unlimited access to the great sand and gravel aquifers that run throughout York and Oxford counties and is pounding on the door of one community after another,” observes Emily Posner with the Defending Water in Maine campaign. Emily Fletcher of Fryeburg's Western Maine Citizens for Rural Living notes, “Fryeburg continues to fight Poland Springs' expansion.  We are locked in a 3 + year battle in the courts and are struggling against local political efforts to build boards that reflect support of Nestle.” "Nestle Waters is not only stealing Mainer's groundwater, but in the processes rolling over the democratic process” comments Jonathan Carter, neighbor to the Poland Spring Pierce Pond site, Not only is Nestle taking our water for free and making an exorbitant profit, but they are being subsidized by our tax dollar to carry out the theft." Resistance has mounted to this corporate takeover of Southern and Western Maine's groundwater supply.  Everywhere that Nestlé has gone, Maine communities have had to organize to try and keep their water supply within their watershed. Up until now, our Maine communities have mostly worked isolated from one another.  But that day is in the past. On June 25th, we, from Fryeburg, Shapleigh, Newfield, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Wells, Kingfield, Hollis, Pierce Pond and our allies unite our voices and strongly say: No to Nestlé in our backyards and any of our neighbors' backyards.  No to commercial and bulk water extraction of Maine's surface and groundwater supply.  No to corporate control of our groundwater.  Yes to conservation of Maine's precious groundwater supply. Yes to designating water as a part of the Commons, where everyone has the right to use water and no one has the right to sell it for profit. Yes to jobs driven by the needs of Maine communities and economic development controlled by the residents of this great state and not multinational corporations. Yes to recognizing the unalienable rights of nature and eco-systems to exist alongside healthy and intact hydrological systems. Yes to climate change mitigation and carbon sequestration through water conservation. Yes to democratic and sustainable management of Maine's ground and surface water supplies!
Posted on Wednesday, June 18, 2008 (Archive on Saturday, August 02, 2008) Posted by Emily Posner  Contributed by
Return