ACTION ALERT: Stop the commodification of the Bute Watershed

There are currently 7 application for Water Bottling in creeks within the Bute Watershed just north of the sunshine coast in BC.  These application have been posted to the Intregrated Land Management Bureau website and they are accepting comments from the public.

http://www.arfd.gov.bc.ca/ApplicationPosting/index.jsp?keyword=&Client=Chornobay%2C+
Bill&Purpose=&SubPurpose=&Region=&FileNumber=&PrimaryStatus=any&Submit=Submit

TAKE ACTION:  Please post comments to show your objection to the commodification of the Bute Watershed. Let the Integrated Land Management Bureau know that water is a human right that should not be privatized. Click on the page icons on the right hand side of each application listing and then scroll down and find the the link where it reads "To comment on this application please click [ here ]."

Be sure to highlight that there is a growing movement to ban bottled water throughout communities across the country. We have very little time to make our voices heard. The comment period for some of the applications is ending this weekend and others will be closing comments next week.

As you are aware, the Council of Canadians has been working very hard to protect water as a public resource.  In March we were thrilled that the Federation of Canadian Muncipalities passed a resolution that encourges municipalities to phase out the sale of bottled water.  With that victory in hand we are hoping communities and individuals that recognize water as a human right will rally to prevent the approval of these application to establish water bottling facilities in the Bute watershed.

To find out more about the Council of Canadians work on water, including a the Our Water Commons report, the Unbottle It Campign, please visit the link below:

http://www.canadians.org/water/index.html

This is especially significant as there has already been serious concern raised about the development of independent private power projects (IPPS or run of the river projects) through out the Bute watershed.  The water bottling application highlight the need to address the commodification of the Bute watershed and its social and environmental impacts.

 To find out more about IPPs visit the links below:

http://www.ippwatch.info/w/

http://www.wildernesscommittee.org/campaigns/publiclands/rpps

http://www.ourrivers.ca/

http://www.publicpowerbc.ca/

If we demonstrate that there is serious public concern to these applications to bottle water we can demonstrate the need for a public consultation allowing us to demand that these applications get rejected while raising the profile of the corporate campaign privatize access to and commodify the water of the Bute Inlet.