In a significant legislative decision, Maine's lawmakers voted against a bill aimed at limiting groundwater extraction, influenced by Poland Spring's lobbying efforts.
Hiroko Tabuchi reports for The New York Times.
In short:
- Maine's Legislature declined a bill restricting large-scale groundwater pumping, influenced by Poland Spring's lobbying.
- The bill aimed to protect groundwater by imposing a 10-year limit on water-extraction contracts.
- Poland Spring, owned by BlueTriton, is a key player in Maine's bottled water industry and opposed the bill.
Key quote:
"Mainers don’t want Poland Spring to lock our communities into bad deals, and certainly not bad deals that last for decades."
— Margaret M. O’Neil, bill sponsor and Democrat from Saco, Maine
Why this matters:
This decision highlights the tension between environmental conservation and corporate interests, particularly in the context of national concerns over dwindling groundwater resources.
