Oregon Public Broadcasting

A coalition of local groups called Keep Nestlé Out of the Gorge gathered in the rain Monday outside the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife office in Clackamas.

They urged the department not to allow Nestle to bottle and sell water from Oxbow Spring near Cascade Locks.

Fifteen organizations including Food and Water Watch, Columbia Riverkeeper, and the First Unitarian Church of Portland have joined to oppose Nestlé’s plan.

They say about 4,000 Oregonians have signed on to their petition. The group says twenty of the signers were from Cascade Locks, where Nestlé hopes to build its bottling plant.

Rick Swart, Public Affairs Officer for Fish and Wildlife, accepted the petition.

“I want to assure you that we too are very concerned about the quantity and quality of Oregon’s water and would not make a decision that would degrade or diminish the quality of the local water supply,“ Swart said.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife owns water rights to Oxbow Spring and uses the water for a salmon hatchery.

Under the proposed deal Fish and Wildlife would keep its rights but would allow Nestlé to use the spring water. In exchange, the hatchery would get an equal or larger supply of water from municipal wells in Cascade Locks.

Activists say that Nestlé shouldn’t be allowed to exploit a public resource like water. And they’re concerned about the environmental impact of the plant.

Portland State University student Matt Demopolis says he doesn’t think corporations should control water.

“The whole idea of privatizing water goes against keeping water free for the citizens of the area.  I’m concerned about what that’s going to do for the community where they’re proposing this plan." Demopolis said.

Jesse Groves is a port commissioner for the town of Cascade Locks. He supports the proposed water plant. He drove to Clackamas to hear what the activists of Keep Nestlé Out of the Gorge had to say.

“I respect their opinion. But yes, it is frustrating. It’s frustrating to a lot of our locals. I’m going to throw the number out that 90 percent of the people in Cascade Locks are in favor of this,” Groves said.

Nestlé says the plant would create about 50 jobs. Groves says water is a plentiful resource and the community needs the jobs.  And Nestlé has been responsive to local concerns.

One concern is that hundreds of trucks would pass through the town.

“We just had a meeting last week with Nestlé regarding the trucking because it is of interest to citizens, including my wife. They’re really working with us well,” Groves said.Activists argue that the plant won’t create as many jobs as promised. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife says it’s studying the impact of the deal on salmon.

A decision is at least a year away.