I understand property rights and the need to maintain the right. But I would hope that if I were to embark on an industrial project on my property with profound effect on my neighbors or community I would first let both know of my intention. This was not the case in Creston. The water bottling plant will have an extremely negative effect on our whole community and especially its neighbors. As I researched these plants I could find not one community pleased with their water bottling plant. In fact most communities are fighting their construction and many are dissatisfied with the large corporation running them – and virtually all are sold to a large corporation.
As the water bottling plant was a surprise to our community and the county commissioners would not seek community input it became necessary to put an initiative on the ballot and seek input from our community and neighbors. Over 12,000 voters signed the petition showing a clear need to discuss this issue. The many negatives; loss of our water resource out of the valley with no benefit to our community, the impact on our infrastructure due to the many trucks using our roads, the decrease in value of the property surrounding the plant and those on the truck route, the possible contamination of our river by the plastic residue, the diminishing of our aquifer, the massive plastic bottle problem, and the potential for more bottling plants to remove our water resource show there should be concerns in permitting the industrial plant in our valley. Since no discussion was allowed before it was permitted the only apparent way to prevent this from hurting our community is the rezoning option. If the bottling plant is allowed there will be no turning back.
I will VOTE FOR initiative 17-01 and encourage all concerned citizens and those who are unsure of the impact this will have on our valley to vote the same. It is about more than property rights for one individual.
Dr. Larry Iwersen
Kalispell