Last year residents of Randle, Washington, a small community in eastern Lewis county nestled between Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens, learned that Crystal Geyser had bought property to get access to spring water for a water bottling plant. They immediately pressured their County Commissioners to stop the project by not granting it any permits. In the midst of a pitched battle with the community, Crystal Geyser’s Chief Operating Officer accidentally sent an email intended for the company president to a reporter with the Lewis County Daily Chronicle, laying out a hardball strategy to counter the opposition, including lawsuits. The Chronicle published the letter, which undermined Crystal Geyser’s reputation in the community. But the battle to stop Crystal Geyser continues.
On this episode of Locus Focus we talk with Craig Jasmer, one of the leaders in this fight, about why there is so much community opposition to Crystal Geyer's proposed bottling plant, and how they hope to defeat it.
- KBOO