MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
June 18, 2009
Council of Canadians denied access to Aquablue press conference
June 18, 2009 - Council of Canadians activist, Jim Riesberry was informed yesterday that he would not be granted permission to attend a press conference on behalf of the organization's publication Canadian Perspectives. The press conference is being held by Aquablue, a bottled water company that has purchased the Hershey factory in Smiths Falls at 11 am this morning. When Riesberry phoned the company to register for the press conference, he was instructed by Aquablue's media representatives to stay off the property altogether.
"What is Aquablue trying to hide from the public?" asks Maude Barlow, chairperson of the Council of Canadians and senior advisor on water to the President of the UN General Assembly. "As we deal with a fresh water crisis in Canada, it is crucial for there to be transparency and public consultation over the allocation of water resources. Aquablue should not deny us the opportunity to seek information and raise concerns."
The organization is seeking clarification on the following questions:
- Where will the water be taken from?
- Has there been an environmental impact assessment and will it be made public?
- How much water does the company plan to extract?
- Will the factory be producing single-use bottles of water?
- What will the market be?
- Will the water be exported?
- How many jobs will be created?
- How long does the company plan to operate in the community?
Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow and national water campaigner, Meera Karunananthan will be available for comment.
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For more information, please contact:
Dylan Penner, Media Officer for the Council of Canadians
Tel.:
613-795-8685
E-mail:
