Activists will Blockade, Risk Arrest to Stop Nestlé from Stealing Millions of Gallons of Area Water
SACRAMENTO – A coalition of water advocates said it plans to "shut down" the Nestlé water bottling plant here early Thursday morning – the blockade could take place anytime between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. – to prevent "further theft of millions of gallons of Sacramento water during the drought".
Activists said they will risk arrest if necessary to block the trucks going into and out of Nestlé, according to a press release.
Activists will begin gathering as early as 5 a.m. Thursday/Oct. 16 in front of the Nestlé office entrance (8670 Younger Creek/Younger Creek Drive off Florin-Perkins Road to parking lot at Nestlé's office).
The protest is expected to last all day, with environmentalists, Native American groups and community activists surrounding the water bottling plant.
Concerned about dwindling local and state water supplies during an historic drought, a large coalition of environmental, Native American and labor groups held a news conference last week at Nestlé to announce a campaign to close the Nestlé water bottling plant.
The Coalition released a "White Paper" detailing Mayor Kevin Johnson's "sweetheart" deal that allows Nestlé's virtually unlimited use of water – up to 80 million gallons a year drained from local aquifers – while Sacramentans have been ordered to restrict lawn watering, showering and other water uses.
"Nestlé pays only 99 cents for each 470 gallons it pumps out of the ground, and is contractually allowed to take up to 80 million gallons a year and sell it back to Sacramentans for an obscene profit," the coalition stated.
Coalition spokesperson Andy Conn said: "In Sacramento our mayor has given Nestlé the right for pennies on the dollar to drain our aquifers, bottle the water and sell it back to the people at exorbitant profits while we are in a severe drought. We say Nestlé, it's crunch time and we are coming to shut you down."
Contact: Andy Conn 530-906-8077 camphgr55@gmail.com or Bob Saunders (916) 370-8251