Osceola Township will be heading back to court after Nestle Waters announced Monday it will appeal the township's decision to ban the construction of an additional water pump.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has not yet approved Nestle’s permit application request to increase water pumping from 250 gallons per minute to 400 gallons per minute.
But that hasn’t stopped Nestle from deciding to take Osceola Township back to court. In a written press release the company said it made the decision because Osceola Township declined their invitation to support a stay of the appeal.
David Holtz is with the Michigan Sierra Club. He said the company is bullying the township.
“The lawsuit is already costing this small township twenty thousand dollars and I think Nestle is simply trying to outspend the township and letting them have the water that the public clearly thinks they have no right to.”
Holtz said the state should watch this issue closely.
“People are standing up to protect water and they are at the forefront of that and we should support the township in every way they can and their fight to keep water from being privatized.”
In a written statement Nestle Waters said it disagreed with the township's decision to deny their permit. The company said their permit would have the least amount of impact on the environment of any other options.
A court date for the appeal has not yet been set.