According to a new report by The Colorado Sun, after months of deliberations and several public meetings, Chaffee County commissioners said they will take more time to consider a new permit for Nestlé Waters North America to pump spring water in the Upper Arkansas River Valley and export it to Denver for bottling.
The plan has raised strong opposition from locals who say that Nestlé has not honored its economic commitments to the region and that any water export is ill advised due to the chronic drought and the prospect of future water shortages. Nestlé won approval for its bottled water operation 10 years ago and the company said its efforts to reduce any impact from the pumping have been successful.
Read more on this story from The Colorado Sun.