After months of silence and amidst continued demands by residents of Mount Shasta in September 2015 Crystal Geyser released a statement saying:  “In an effort to be completely transparent with the community we have decided to move forward … in the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR).  By preparing this EIR, we will be able to analyze all potential impacts of the plant operations in Mt. Shasta.”    Then, in an abrupt about-face, on January 12, 2016 Crystal Geyser announced to the County Board of Supervisors that they no longer considered an environmental review as necessary.  

In other words, THERE IS NO EIR!

One reason that both Crystal Geyser and members of the Board of Supervisors give for not needing an EIR is that the operation is going to be no different from what was previously happening when Dannon and Coca-Cola owned and operated the plant.

It’s no different except for the fact that:

•  All new production equipment has been installed inside a formerly empty building.

• Tea and juice flavored beverages will be manufactured and bottled, not water.

• A 30,000-gallon propane and large liquid nitrogen and CO2 tanks along with two large cooling towers and attached equipment buildings have been installed outside the main building.

• A pH neutralization waste treatment building has started being constructed.

• Three large propane powered electrical generators are slated to be installed.

• Expansion of the on site “domestic water pump house” is occurring, which will result in huge increases in water usage for the plant.

• Because this plant will use much more energy than Coca Cola did, the power substation on S. Old Stage Rd will have to be enlarged and a new high voltage power line to the plant installed.

And this is only what we have found out so far...who knows what we will hear in the future.  Amazingly both County officials and Crystal Geyser claim this can all be done with NO environmental review!

We have just learned that Crystal Geyser has submitted an application to the City of Mount Shasta to connect to the City waste treatment system.  This application is a trigger event for California environmental law.  It is important that the entire community strongly demand that the City conduct a full EIR to consider all aspects of Crystal Geyser’s operations.  Crystal Geyser is also trying to claim that the amount of water they will use is “proprietary information” and they should not be required to disclose how much water they pump.  Why is this so when the rest of us are having meters installed at our houses? We say the public must know Crystal Geyser’s water usage to protect our scarce and valuable water resources.

W.A.T.E.R. has also filed a lawsuit against Crystal Geyser and Siskiyou County challenging the zoning of the Crystal Geyser property and submitted an amended complaint on January 29,2016. We anticipate having our day in court on this issue soon.

Please put an EIR sticker in your car window to let city and county officials know that the residents of Mount Shasta want to know Crystal Geyser’s plans so they can be fully evaluated in order that intelligent decisions can be made and our community, environment and quality of life is protected. Let the City Council and the Board of Supervisors know how you feel. Write a letter to the newspaper. Tell your neighbors.