Siskiyou Daily News – by Danielle Jester
On Tuesday afternoon, in a meeting continued from Nov. 16, the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve a resolution certifying an Environmental Impact Report for Crystal Geyser’s planned bottling plant in the Mount Shasta area and approving the company’s use permit to construct a caretaker’s residence near the bottling plant.
[Crystal Geyser Water Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Japanese pharmaceutical company, Otsuka Holdings.]The vote also denied an appeal filed by Marsha Burch representing the Gateway Neighborhood Association, We Advocate Thorough Environmental Review and the Winnemem Wintu Tribe.The appeal targeted the Siskiyou County Planning Commission’s decision to approve the EIR and use permit earlier this year.
The appeal posited that the EIR failed to meet California Environmental Quality Act standards and asked that the board of supervisors require revisions to the EIR and continue consultation with the Winnemem Wintu Tribe.
The board’s Tuesday decision followed a brief report by county staff, who stated that their recommendation continued to be that the board certify the EIR, approve the use permit, deny the appeal and adopt a mitigation monitoring and reporting plan.
The board, just as with the planning commission, heard hours of testimony from the public, including several opponents of the plant and a number of supporters.
Explaining in part why he voted the way he did, District 2 Supervisor Ed Valenzuela – in whose district the plant will be operated – noted that he felt it was a common sense decision, explaining that Crystal Geyser’s operation involves “re-use” of an existing facility.
He also cited what he said was the need for increased employment in the county before concluding that he was sure the project would continue to be scrutinized.
I thought Nestle had already taken all of northern California’s fresh water.
This used to be a Coca Cola bottling facility, they were using huge amounts of water as well.
You would not believe the amounts of bottled water that gets trucked out of this region already.
California, land of the perpetual drought.
The Liberals in the state cannot figure out why.
They impose limitations on water usage, that the people pay massive amounts for from the start.
Massive fires blamed on global warming baloney.
All while companies get subsidies to cart away their water for corporate profit.