密歇根新闻广播 民主党候选人抨击雀巢的"免费"水

 

The Democratic race for Michigan governor is getting spirited, but all three candidates still find plenty to agree on ? including criticism of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality for granting Nestle Waters North America permission to tap up to 400 gallons of water per minute (up from 250 gallons) from one Osceola County well.

Gretchen Whitmer, Abdul El-Sayed and Shri Thanedar each spoke¹ out against the proposal, in some cases even before Gov. Rick Snyder's administration granted the permit in April.

Although their language differed, all three candidates were accurate in their main argument: Michigan is charging next to nothing to allow the Swiss conglomerate² to make a handsome profit off the state's water.

The claims

At a March 22 event, Whitmer, the former Senate minority leader from East Lansing, said: "We have Nestle, that's pulling as much ground water out as they want and pay a one-time, minuscule³ fee for doing it."

In remarks posted to social media, she said Nestle is "pulling as much water out of the ground without paying for it."

In April, El-Sayed blasted the state's decision to end free bottled water to lead-contaminated Flint while approving the Nestle permit, two very different but emotional water issues.

"I want you to think about the lack of empathy that this governor has shown. In the same week that he basically turned on the taps free of charge for Nestle, he shuts it off for Flint," said El-Sayed, the city of Detroit's former health director.

The statement followed other criticisms from El-Sayed about the permit.

Why isn't Lansing listening to the 80,945 public comments against Nestle's water extraction? Millions of dollars that Nestle pays to buy politicians. Time for politicians that prioritize citizens' needs over corporate⁴ greed.

Thanedar, an Ann Arbor⁵ businessman, took to social media to call the DEQ permit "absolutely unacceptable."

"Nestle has taken enough of our water, and they've done so paying only pennies on the dollar," Thanedar wrote.

Absolutely unacceptable. Nestle has taken enough of our water, and they've done so paying only pennies on the dollar. It's time we restrict Nestle's grab on our water.

The facts

Nestle has nine wells feeding its Michigan plant for its Ice Mountain brand. It pays $3.50 per thousand gallons it pumps from two of those wells owned by the City of Evart — the same utility rate residents pay, according to City Manager Zackary Szakacs.

But the increased withdrawals⁶ aren't from those wells. And even in that case, Nestle and other ratepayers are technically⁷ paying to deliver the water, not for the water itself.

"Whether you're taking the water for growing crops, building widgets, drinking water or bottling it, we don't pay," Noah Hall, a professor of environment and water law at Wayne State University, recently told Bridge Magazine.

The DEQ permit at issue applies to a well just outside of Evart, in Osceola Township. It's outside of any municipal water system, so Nestle does not pay utility bills for what could amount to more than 210 million gallons per year under the DEQ's permit. Like other states, Michigan law generally allows property owners to take water under their land for free so long as it doesn't interfere⁸ with river navigability or the rights of others.

Nestle has told Bridge it "pays the costs to build and maintain the infrastructure⁹, energy and taxes, like all other Osceola Township businesses who do not rely on the neighboring Evart municipal supply."

But then what's the "one-time, miniscule fee" Whitmer mentions? Or the "pennies on the dollar," from Thanedar's Facebook post?

Nestle, which sold $4.5 billion in bottled water last year, pays an upfront $5,000 fee to the state for the processing of its environmental permit, as well as a $200 annual fee.

Those offset¹⁰ administrative¹¹ costs of processing the permits, but again, don't pay for the water.

The verdict

Yes, Nestle is basically getting the Osceola Township water for "free" or "without paying for it." It's also true that Nestle pays the state small fees associate with its pumping — dollars that are dwarfed¹² by its profits.

And while the candidates could have noted¹³ that other states also charge little for water, their statements nonetheless are accurate.

1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 conglomerate   

n.综合商社，多元化集团公司

参考例句：

• The firm has been taken over by an American conglomerate.该公司已被美国一企业集团接管。
• An American conglomerate holds a major share in the company.一家美国的大联合企业持有该公司的大部分股份。

3 minuscule   

adj.非常小的；极不重要的

参考例句：

• The human race only a minuscule portion of the earth's history.人类只有占有极小部分地球历史。
• As things stand,Hong Kong's renminbi banking system is minuscule.就目前的情况而言，香港的人民币银行体系可谓微不足道。

4 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

5 arbor   

n.凉亭；树木

参考例句：

• They sat in the arbor and chatted over tea.他们坐在凉亭里，边喝茶边聊天。
• You may have heard of Arbor Day at school.你可能在学校里听过植树节。

6 withdrawals   

n.收回，取回，撤回( withdrawal的名词复数 )；撤退，撤走；收回[取回，撤回，撤退，撤走]的实例；推出（组织），提走（存款），戒除毒瘾，对说过的话收回，孤僻

参考例句：

• He has made several withdrawals from his bank account. 他从银行账户上提了几次款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It is not the bank's policy to deduct interest on withdrawals. 提款需扣除利息这并非是本银行的政策。 来自辞典例句

7 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

8 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

9 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

10 offset   

n.分支，补偿；v.抵消，补偿

参考例句：

• Their wage increases would be offset by higher prices.他们增加的工资会被物价上涨所抵消。
• He put up his prices to offset the increased cost of materials.他提高了售价以补偿材料成本的增加。

11 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

12 dwarfed   

vt.（使）显得矮小（dwarf的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The old houses were dwarfed by the huge new tower blocks. 这些旧房子在新建的高楼大厦的映衬下显得十分矮小。
• The elephant dwarfed the tortoise. 那只乌龟跟那头象相比就显得很小。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。