OSCEOLA TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The fight over groundwater in Osceola County appears to be over after Nestle announced it won’t appeal a court ruling that barred the company from building a pump to double the amount of water going to its facility.
Nestle Waters North America wanted to build a booster station that would have nearly doubled the amount of water pumped to its facility just outside of Evart. Osceola Township denied a permit to build the station several years ago, which was challenged in court.
Nestle appealed the township’s decision and won in circuit court, but Michigan’s court of appeals overturned that decision in December.
On Wednesday, Nestle said further litigation isn’t in anyone’s best interest, so the company will look into other options to get water to its bottling facility.
“From the beginning, our goal with this request was to reduce, as much as possible, any impact to the local community and the environment,” a company statement says. “Nestlé Waters has worked to be a good neighbor to Osceola Township for over 17 years. We value our relationships with Township residents and community leaders, and always strive to create shared value within the communities where we operate.”
