by Mike Corthell
I am a resident of Fryeburg, Maine. I have been keeping an open mind regarding the proposed agreement
between Nestlé Waters and the Fryeburg Water Company, so I was disappointed that
Nisha Swinton’s letter relied primarily on scare tactics and false statements to
argue against the agreement.
The Fryeburg Water
Company has been selling water to Poland Spring at a rate approved by the Maine
Public Utilities Commission for more than 15 years. This has generated
much-needed additional revenue that helps to offset operational and maintenance
costs and protects against rate increases. As a ratepayer, I appreciate the
lower rates we enjoy because of this contract. The question is whether there is
enough water to support the new long term agreement. Fortunately, an independent
hydro-geology company called Emery & Garrett has been working for the town
for many years to study the amount of water that can be sustainably withdrawn.
Because of the
Emery & Garrett studies, we know Swinton’s statement that a contract with
Poland Spring will compromise Maine’s groundwater resources for future
generations is without any factual or scientific basis at all. The sale of water
by FWC to its customers, including Poland Spring, has resulted in absolutely no
harm to the aquifer or the environment. This new agreement is tied to the Emery
& Garrett report to ensure that the continued sale of spring water to Poland
Spring will not jeopardize the ratepayers or the environment.
Furthermore,
Swinton has grossly overstated – by more than 3 orders of magnitude – the amount
of water that FWC has sold to Poland Spring, which is a matter of public record.
Swinton’s claim
that Maine’s water laws are weak and outdated is likewise inaccurate. With
recent changes to those laws and new reporting requirements, Maine has some of
the toughest and most transparent water laws in the country.
Swinton’s
statement about FWC’s indebtedness is grossly misleading. I learned that FWC
borrows money for capital improvements like most companies. Repayment is
included as part of our rates and has always been approved by the Maine Public
Utilities Commission.
Fryeburg residents
should know that the Fryeburg Water Company agreement is good for ratepayers and
well within the limits of sustainable water use, even though a resident of
Portland working for a national advocacy group would try to tell you otherwise.
Lastly, I would
encourage my fellow Fryeburg citizens and all interested parties to step back
for a moment and look at this issue factually. The facts tell the
truth.
Mike Corthell
