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ACAL NewsRecent Documents...
News Updates...ACAL News – Week of 14 September 2007“Nestle makes the very best … chocolate.” Remember that advertisement jingle from the 1970’s? Thirty-some years later, it appears Nestle is up to making other things – namely, trouble for rural communities throughout the United States. Within the past month alone, I have read a number of articles, both in newspapers and online, regarding the future goals of Nestle Waters North America – an enormous water bottling corporation that owns Arrowhead, Calistoga, Deer Park, Perrier, Poland Spring and Ice Mountain, among others, throughout the United States, and is the largest seller of bottled water in the world, selling 72 brands in 37 countries. How does Nestle plan on tapping and bottling 1.5 million gallons of water daily from the Tug Hill Aquifer? By entering through the back door, of course. When word that Nestle was planning to buy a 450-acre farm in Orwell, Oswego County, news began to spread fast. While North County media covered the story in mid August, just last week, the Albany Times Union ran a story entitled, Nestle faces fight for aquifer for bottled water. According to the article published in the state’s Capital Region, the Orwell farm is located just a few miles north of the Salmon River, “one of the state’s premier fisheries”. As a result, Trout Unlimited (TU) and other environmental groups are concerned that pumping millions of gallons of water out of the Tug Hill Aquifer, located from Watertown to Camden, “could damage the Salmon River and cold-water fish like brook trout and salmon.” In a letter to Governor Spitzer, Trout Unlimited has requested a detailed environmental study regarding how Nestle’s $100 million bottling plant could affect the aquifer. Additional, TU is also asking the governor to extend the state’s bottle bill to include water and non-carbonated beverages. It appears the Tug Hill Plateau, which includes a 2,100 square mile area of forests, farmland, and natural resources, and is home to about 100,000 people living in 41 small rural towns, is becoming a corporate target for water. The “Smoke Water Project”, located in the Town of Grieg, has forced local residents to band together and fight the potential siting and construction of a 1 million square foot water bottling facility, which plans to tap into water located in the Town of Grieg and pump it under the Black River to the Town of Turin where the plant will be constructed. According to local Grieg residents, there is strong citizen opposition to this project, which offers no economic benefit to local citizens. Additionally, the Black River and its ecosystem could become extremely vulnerable if a project this size was approved by local officials. Nirvana Natural Spring Water, located in the Town of Boonville, owns 2,000 acres in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York, and has identified numerous naturally occurring pristine springs, according to its website. Nirvana has plans to expand its water bottling facility, which would not only increase the amount of water pumped from the area, but would also increase the number of plastic bottles it produces. Environmentalists throughout the country oppose bottled water for several reasons, including potential decrease in area water tables and the use of petroleum for manufacturing plastic bottles. Additionally, global warming issues are only adding to the problem of decreasing world water supplies. Rural communities throughout the United States have been vulnerable to the siting of landfills, mining operations and prisons for decades. It appears the 21st century has brought a new wave of problems to rural areas, namely ATV’s, wind farms, and water bottling plants. Rural residents, who try desperately to make a living in economically depressed areas, often jump at the chance when new employment possibilities occur. Sadly, what many of these folks don’t realize is they often trade their way of life and the natural resources they have enjoyed for generations in return for a paycheck. Sacrificing natural resources by selling off farmland to large corporations for water and wind power is not the answer. Selling land to private and out-of-state developers for excessive ATV trail systems, carving into unspoiled Tug Hill woodlands and forests, is not the solution to the area’s economic problems. Rural townships throughout the Tug Hill Region must stand ready and be willing to protect its natural resources and the rights of its citizens. It is the responsibility of local government to ensure citizens have viable jobs without having to sacrifice the simple way of life known best by rural communities. Federal, state and county government must do what is ethically just and morally right to make it possible for rural townships and villages to survive. It is the responsibility of all rural citizens to elect officials that are effective leaders and who have the communities’ best interests in mind. It is also necessary for residents to attend local town and planning board meetings, and volunteer to become involved in their communities. Local governments and citizens must work together to protect Tug Hill. Once Rural America is gone – it will be lost forever. Jacki Chamberlain ACAL Director of Communications 07/02/10 - Burning household trash is illegal in New York 06/17/10 - New Yorkers for Zero Waste Platform 07/13/09 - ACAL - Alive and well 04/13/08 - ACAL 2008 Update - Part 2 03/18/08 - ACAL Continues Environmental Mission in 2008 11/09/07 - Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust 10/26/07 - A good read - The Adirondack Atlas 10/12/07 - New York State Opening Meeting Law 09/28/07 - ACAL Fall Foliage Auction Oct. 5 09/21/07 - Integrity found in the Town of Ava 09/14/07 - Tug Hill resources have been targeted 08/19/07 - Fair and straighforward journalism? 08/10/07 - A Needed Appreciation for Nature 08/03/07 - New York State Municipal Home Rule Law 07/27/07 - Boonville Village Litter/Debris Local Law 07/19/07 - Black River Landing Subdivision Issues 07/13/07 - WTE vs. Landfills 06/29/07 - Too many impaired waters - Black River Watershed 06/22/07 - Protecting our drinking water starts at home 06/15/07 - ACAL Joins Northern Forest Alliance 06/07/07 - ACAL Holds 200/20 Drawing & Picnic, Annual Meeting 06/07/07 - ACAL AWARDED GRANT 06/01/07 - Be a solution - get involved 05/25/07 - American flags do not belong in landfills 05/24/07 - PRESS RELEASE - ACAL Signs Stolen & Vandalized 05/18/07 - Reality check for the DEC 05/04/07 - All citizens are called to act responsibly 04/27/07 - "An Inconvenient Truth" 04/13/07 - Citizens Deserve the Whole Truth ... 04/06/07 - Great Lakes United & Citizen Resources 03/30/07 - "What is the future of local government?" 03/23/07 - Citizens Expect More From Local Government 03/16/07 - Plastic Grocery Bags Harm Wildlife 03/09/07 - The Precious Gift of Water 03/02/07 - Working Together to Protect the Environment 02/26/07 - Grassroots groups are citizens who care! 02/16/07 - Local Citizens Want Environment Protected 02/09/07 - Open Letter to Boonville Town/Village Officials 02/02/07 - Ava Landfill Story Told in Chicago 01/26/07 - It's time for New Yorkers to reclaim their rights! 01/12/07 - CITIZENS' RIGHTS ARE NOT FOR SALE! 01/05/07 - "DO NOT LITTER" Applies to Everyone 12/15/06 - "March of the Penguins" 12/08/06 - Be "good news" in the community 12/01/06 - Moose Creek Prediction - 12 years ago! 11/22/06 - United Haulers v. OHSWA 11/17/06 - A Citizen's Rights 11/03/06 - EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE 11/01/06 - ACAL statement regarding opening of landfill 10/24/06 - OHSWA Opens Landfill Without Required DEC Permit 10/20/06 - OHSWA required by DEC to have proper permit 10/13/06 - Dr. Bob Johnson Speaks at Public Forum 10/06/06 - OHSWA Fails to Deliver 10/04/06 - PRESS RELEASE - Court Denies OHSWA Motions 09/26/06 - PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT 09/21/06 - If OHSWA knew what they were doing ... 09/08/06 - Joint Board Resolution Revisited 08/28/06 - A Special Message 08/11/06 - Who will save the Town of Ava? 07/21/06 - The Emperor isn't wearing any clothes! 06/10/06 - Honoring Flag Day 05/19/06 - Local Residents Demand Protection for Environment 05/12/06 - The Foundation for a Better Life 05/05/06 - ACAL will pursue justice 04/28/06 - "Tug Hill, A Threatened Paradise" 04/21/06 - NYS environmental law contradicts State action 04/13/06 - The Tug Hill Plateau is worth protecting! 03/22/06 - Press Release - OHSWA & Rifenburg Being Sued 02/24/06 - ACAL Finds NYSDEC Consent Out of Order 02/03/06 - ACAL Defends the Truth 01/02/06 - PRESS RELEASE 12/15/05 - ACAL Continues with its Mission 12/01/05 - Tug Hill Heritage 11/23/05 - Boonville Breaks Resolution 11/06/05 - October 2005 OHSWA meeting 10/28/05 - NYS Waste Disposal Policies Not Enforced 10/21/05 - Environmental Conservation Laws 10/12/05 - Response to Village Trustee 09/23/05 - OHSWA Permit Violations 09/16/05 - ACAL Misinformation 09/07/05 - Press Release: DEC Enforcement Action 08/24/05 - ACAL Misinformation 08/05/05 - It's never too late 07/22/05 - Citizens, stand strong - DO NOT NEGOTIATE! 07/15/05 - PRESS RELEASE - Problems on Ava Landfill Site 07/08/05 - The truth must be told 07/07/05 - WBRV Statement #5 - DANGER to our drinking water 07/06/05 - WBRV Statement #4 - Polluting landfills kill 07/05/05 - WBRV STATEMENT #3 - Boonville Poll Not Official 06/29/05 - WBRV Statement #2 - Landfills provide NO benefits 06/27/05 - WBRV Statement #1 -Towns must stick together 06/24/05 - Waste to energy facilities better alternative 06/17/05 - Boonville boards break agreement 06/17/05 - Slope failure sends mud into Moose Creek AGAIN! 06/12/05 - Environmentally safe alternatives to landfills 05/27/05 - Town of Ava will file an appeal 05/22/05 - Dynamite blasting on landfill site? 05/15/05 - Oneida County in Trouble 05/08/05 - FACTS and What You Can Do 05/01/05 - Community Gathers for Prayer Service 04/24/05 - Personal Letter to NYS Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi 04/17/05 - Power of Prayer 04/03/05 - The Waste Authority Must Be Stopped! 03/27/05 - Letter to NYS Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi 03/20/05 - OHSWA Propaganda 03/13/05 - Letter to Griffo - Put Words into Action! 03/06/05 - Get involved in your community 02/27/05 - Assemblyman Townsend Has Concerns Re: OHSWA 02/06/05 - Power of the Press 01/24/05 - Legislator Pam Mandryck Opposes SWA Reappointment 01/02/05 - Weeks of 1/2 - 1/16/05 12/22/04 - Response to letter 12/12/04 - Senator Ray Meier Favors Ava Landfill 11/28/04 - Proud Heritage 11/14/04 - Oneida County chooses - for the people, or not? 11/07/04 - Letters sent to Governor and NYS Senators 10/31/04 - Ava/Boonville future - NO DUMP! 10/28/04 - Letter to Governor Pataki 10/24/04 - Environment Justice All the Way! 10/22/04 - Press Release 10/17/04 - No Civil Rights for Ava Residents 10/10/04 - Article 78 Lawsuit Against DEC Commissioner Crotty 10/03/04 - 400+ Days and Still Fighting! 09/27/04 - Family Home Threatened 09/26/04 - Important Facts to Know About the Ava Landfill 09/19/04 - Letter from Concerned Citizen 09/12/04 - Small Town of Ava Dragged into Court by OHSWA 08/29/04 - Where Do Your Loyalities Lie? 08/22/04 - Beaver Dam Incident Still a Mystery 08/15/04 - Ava-Boonville-Lewis Joint Boards Resolution |
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