State approves more wells for bottler

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Friday approved Nestle Waters' plan to pump 70 million gallons of spring water annually from a site near two trout streams in Osceola County.

The DEQ determination that the well was "not likely to cause an adverse resource impact" in nearby Twin and Chippewa creeks confirmed the department's Dec. 18 preliminary ruling. State law prohibits groundwater withdrawals from harming fish in trout streams.

Nestle, which bottles water in Michigan under its Ice Mountain label, still needs a state permit to operate the well before it can begin pumping water from the site.

Nestle spokeswoman Deb Muchmore said the company probably would not begin pumping water from the site before late 2007.

The company voluntarily asked the DEQ to make a determination on its proposed well. Nestle does not need a state permit to pump water at the Osceola County site because the company plans to pump less than 250,000 gallons per day and the well is more than 1,300 feet from the nearest trout streams.

Muchmore praised the DEQ decision, which was based largely on scientific studies Nestle consultants conducted.

Once operational, the well northwest of Evart will reduce water flow in Twin and Chippewa creeks by about 4 percent. It will reduce the amount of groundwater flowing into the Muskegon River by 70 million gallons annually, according to company data.

Terry Swier, president of Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation, criticized the ruling. Swier questioned why the DEQ didn't wait until the public comment period on the proposed well ended, on March 15, before making its decision.

"What does this say about public input?" Swier said.

DEQ spokesman Bob McCann said the DEQ was obligated by the state's new water withdrawal law to rule on Nestle's proposed well by the end of January.

McCann said the DEQ would accept comments on Nestle's Osceola County wells through March 15, even though those comments would have no bearing on the agency's decision-making process. He said the DEQ would respond to comments received through March 15 in a document to be posted on the agency's Web site, www.michigan.gov/deqwater.

Nestle also wants to pump an undetermined amount of groundwater from natural springs that flow into the White River northeast of White Cloud. The company has not yet applied for a state permit at that site.

The company, which opened a water bottling facility in Stanwood in 2002, is considering building a second Ice Mountain bottling plant. The new facility will be built near Evart or at a site in Indiana, Muchmore said.