Bottled-Water War: Township Appealing Decision On Nestle Pump Station Permit

OSCEOLA TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WWJ/AP) - A judge's ruling that a bottled-water company should be allowed to build a pumping station as part of its plans to get more groundwater in western Michigan for the Ice Mountain brand is being appealed.

Nestle Waters North America sued after Osceola County's Osceola Township rejected a zoning permit. Nestle wants to withdraw up to 400 gallons a minute, with help from a pipeline booster station at SpringHill Camps, a summer camp.

Mason County Judge Susan Sniegowski ruled last month. Osceola Township's board of trustees voted this week to appeal the ruling to the Michigan Court of Appeals.

Nestle says the judge's decision was appropriate.

The permit dispute is separate from a decision to increase water output. That request is pending at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. Environmentalists critical of the request say the plan could hurt wetlands if the company were permitted to drain more underground water for its Ice Mountain bottling operation. Nestle representatives say the increase wouldn't hurt the environment.

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