Shapleigh Passes Moratorium Against Water Extraction & Testing by Nestle/Poland Spring

The residents of Shapleigh have won a resounding victory against Nestle/Poland Spring; they passed – by a sizable margin – a six-month moratorium prohibiting large-scale water extraction or the drilling of test wells.

From the Portland Press Herald:

Shapleigh voters overwhelmingly adopted a six-month moratorium on testing or large-scale extraction of water in town on Saturday, severely crimping the plans of bottler Poland Spring for a new source of water for bottling in Maine.

At a special town meeting, residents voted 204 to 38 in favor of the moratorium, which is intended to give the town time to work on an ordinance to regulate water testing and large-scale pumping. Selectmen can extend the moratorium for another six months if an ordinance isn’t done by next March.

A competing measure would have given Nestle/Poland Spring immediate access to the proposed extraction site for testing, and it was handily defeated:

Voters also shot down a proposal for an agreement between the town and Poland Spring that would have given the water bottler access to town land on Mann Road for testing. That proposal was defeated 183-49, averting a confusing situation that could have developed if voters had approved both the moratorium and the agreement with the company.

Nestle/Poland Spring spokesperson Mark Dubois seemingly took the defeat in stride:

“We think the people in Shapleigh want to go really slow when it comes to the water resources there and we respect that,” he said.

Dubois’ conciliatory words stand in stark contrast to his foreceful rhetoric of a short time ago, when he suggested Poland Spring would have to go elsewhere for its water if communities continued to put roadblocks in Poland Spring’s path.

“We’re going to go where we can do business. We’re going to go where people look at facts, not emotions.”

In the face of its heavy-handed attempts to influence local politcs – with money and even empty threats to leave -  it’s little wonder Nestle’s credibility continues to dwindle among those whose water they hope to extract.

Congratulations to the residents of Shapleigh; you’ve got the breathing room you wanted.

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