Environmentalists Sue Over Nestlé's Bottled Water Business

The Takeaway | Oct 19, 2015

To produce Arrowhead bottled water, every year the Nestlé corporation pumps millions of gallons of water from the San Bernadino National Forest in southern California.

The fact that the American west is experiencing a historic drought hasn't affected Nestlé's business model. In fact, when asked if Nestlé would stop bottling California water, CEO Tim Brown said, "Absolutely not. In fact, if I could increase it."

Now, three environmental groups are suing the United States Forest Service for allowing Nestlé to extract water using a permit that expired in 1988. 

Eddie Kurtz is executive director of the California-based Courage Campaign, one of the plaintiffs in this case. He explains why his group is suing the U.S. Forest Service.

What you'll learn from this segment:

  • Why environmentalists are going after the Forest Service instead of Nestlé.
  • How Nestlé is working within the San Bernardino National Forest.
  • How California residents feel about Nestlé's activities.

  

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