GUELPH – Wellington Water Watchers (WWW) will join communities from Maine, California, Michigan, Colorado, and Florida in an online protest, calling on regulatory agencies and legislators to closely examine Nestle´s sale of its North American operations to a private equity firm.
Nestlé recently announced the company has sold its North American water bottling operations to One Rock Capital Partners for $4 billion.
In a press release, WWW calls the sale “a massive private transfer of ‘water wealth’ – an especially ominous development in light of Wall Street’s accelerating interest in ‘water futures’ trading.”
The international online rally is slated for March 18 at 7pm. Grassroots leaders from communities where Nestle´ extracts water will be joined by U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib, musical guests, and celebrity endorsers.
WWW will live-stream the event.
“Jeff Yurek, (Ontario’s Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks) must not allow Nestlé’s current permits to take water for bottling to be transferred to a private equity firm,” stated Rob Case, chair of WWW.
“Minster Yurek, extend the current moratorium on new permits to bottle water beyond the current April 1st deadline, and commit to phasing out permits to bottle water in Ontario.”
Arlene Slocombe, WWW executive director, states, “As residents across the continent are now calling for Nestle’s existing contracts to end, it’s time for us to engage in the important question of how groundwater can be stewarded locally, so that we can ensure the protection of these precious waters for future generations.”
WWW claims that despite the sale of its water bottling business, Nestlé continues to fight for extensions and expansions to its water permits.
“In the context of a global pandemic and increasing droughts and wildfires across North America, it’s clearer than ever that water should be stewarded by and for the people, with respect for all living things,” the release states.
“All too often over recent years, we’ve seen water being commodified and sold in single-use plastic packaging that’s accelerating a waste crisis.”
For more information visit www.wellingtonwaterwatchers.ca/.
