Water fight goes to court

Opponents of the proposed Crystal Geyser Water Bottling Co. plant in Orland got their day in court last Friday (May 27), when representatives of Friends of Orland (FOO) and Save Our Water Resources (SOWR) squared off against plant proponents in a Sacramento Superior Court hearing.

Both SOWR and FOO have expressed concern over the plant’s potential impact on the groundwater supply and the movement of a nearby toxic plume, among other things, and are seeking an environmental-impact report before the project can break ground.

“Both sides had a very spirited argument in front of the judge,” said SOWR secretary Trish Saint-Evens (pictured). Five attorneys spoke, she said, including Orland City Attorney Tom Andrews, who argued on behalf of Crystal Geyser.

The judge now has up to 90 days to make a ruling.