Dear Merrillee ,
Last week, we emailed you with an urgent call to action. Our friend Terry Swier and her neighbors were being forced to throw in the towel after a nine year court battle with Nestlé, because of the corporation’s deep pockets and the community’s mounting legal fees.
But you didn’t let Nestlé bully Terry and her neighbors out of court for the right to extract unsustainable amounts of water from North Michigan. In less than a week’s time, nearly 200 Corporate Accountability International members stepped up and raised over $7,000 when it was needed most. Your support helped to keep Terry and her community in the courtroom for this final push.
And the support paid off. This Tuesday, Terry let us know that the court has required Nestlé to cap pumping at its current level and to dramatically reduce pumping during the dry summer months — in other words, Nestlé will be required, finally, to honor a 2003 ruling that Nestlé tied up in courts for the last six years.
This long struggle in North Michigan is only one of many community-led efforts to halt Nestlé’s attempts to undermine local, public control of water. Terry’s perseverance gives hope to communities across the country engaged in the same struggle.
Our thanks and congratulations go out to Michigan — and to you.
Onward,
Leslie Samuelrich
Deputy Director
P.S. Looking for a way to celebrate this victory?Tell your governor to stop spending public money on bottled water!
