Defending Water for Life in Maine is a project of the Alliance for Democracy, a national nonprofit. Defending Water for Life was started in Maine to protect the right to water for people and nature by working with local communities to prevent transnational corporate water mining, which threaten our long-term water security. While potable water is becoming more scarce worldwide, the demand for water continues to rise. Already, water is worth even more than oil. Maude Barlow entitled her book about socioeconomic struggle for water, "Blue Gold," for this reason.
Maine has some of the most abundant and pristine water in the world, and therefore is already a battleground for water control that will certainly intensify as time goes on. Nestle Waters North America, the world's largest water bottler, operates in Maine extracting spring water from sand-gravel aquifers and producing the brand "Poland Springs." Despite their public relations campaigns, Nestle has not proven to be a good neighbor. As we look into the future, we believe it is imperative that water be protected as a fundamental right for people and nature and not allowed to be commodified for commercial profit. This requires transforming Maine's groundwater law, the Rule of Absolute Dominion, to recognize these rights.
Over the years, Defending Water for Life has worked side by side with Maine communities to prevent corporate predators like Nestle/Poland Spring from mining spring water for profit. Then, just over two years ago, the people of Maine were faced with the most significant threat not only to Maine's water, but to our local economic sustainability, cultural heritage, wilderness, traditional land use, and local control.
The East-West Transportation, Communication, and Utilities Corridor proposed by the Cianbro Corporation.
This super-corridor would open up previously inaccessible areas to future water extraction with bulk water pipelines transporting the water to tankerships at New Brunswick ports for worldwide sale. The pipelines could also provide the massive quantities of fresh water needed to extract natural gas by hydraulic fracturing at both ends of the proposed corridor. (See Natural gas fracking leases surround Maine to the East and West ). One active fracking operation can use as much as 13 million gallons of fresh water over its lifespan. (source).
Given the devastation this proposed corridor represents, Defending Water for Life decided to mobilize opposition by facilitating the creation of a statewide coalition of Maine people, now known as Stop the East-West Corridor (STEWC). Maine Coordinator, Chris Buchanan, has been spearheading an educational campaign, facilitating communication and resource-sharing among resistance groups, and developing the foundation to mobilize action statewide. Here is a brief timeline of our successes to date.
To continue, we need your help.
Defending Water for Life is committed to ending the threat of the East-West Corridor for good, while empowering local communities to self-organize. While we have made significant progress, we would be foolish to underestimate the resources Cianbro and its allies in the resource extraction and energy industries can bring to bear. Canada is also a powerful player as they seek routes to get Alberta tar sands to East Coast ports. They will go wherever they can beat back the resistance. Moving forward, we are going to continue the ongoing initiatives above, as well as renew our focus on the threat to water in Maine, especially in the face of accelerating climate change. For more information about future initiatives, please contact us!
Defending Water for Life is a very small, grassroots project that depends on funding from private foundations and individual donors. Our current expenses run about $60,000 on a very slim budget, and the money goes directly into our work. We use the funding to pay: personnel, 77%: the Maine Coordinator 24 hours a week year-round, the Alliance's coordinator 24 hours total for the entire year, and a campaign assistant 8 hours a week year-round; and program costs, 23%: printing, copying, DVDs, posters, tabling fees, etc.
The Northeast Harbor art show is designed to:
· provide a public venue for art which showcases the beauty and diversity of Maine along the corridor route
· support artists who create this art by displaying their art for sale in Northeast Harbor during the height of the summer season on Mt. Desert Island
· raise funds to continue Defending Water’s critical organizing to stop the EWC.
We hope you will be able to participate in some way. If you are unable to participate, but interested in supporting us, please contact us.
Maine has some of the most abundant and pristine water in the world, and therefore is already a battleground for water control that will certainly intensify as time goes on. Nestle Waters North America, the world's largest water bottler, operates in Maine extracting spring water from sand-gravel aquifers and producing the brand "Poland Springs." Despite their public relations campaigns, Nestle has not proven to be a good neighbor. As we look into the future, we believe it is imperative that water be protected as a fundamental right for people and nature and not allowed to be commodified for commercial profit. This requires transforming Maine's groundwater law, the Rule of Absolute Dominion, to recognize these rights.
Over the years, Defending Water for Life has worked side by side with Maine communities to prevent corporate predators like Nestle/Poland Spring from mining spring water for profit. Then, just over two years ago, the people of Maine were faced with the most significant threat not only to Maine's water, but to our local economic sustainability, cultural heritage, wilderness, traditional land use, and local control.
The East-West Transportation, Communication, and Utilities Corridor proposed by the Cianbro Corporation.
This super-corridor would open up previously inaccessible areas to future water extraction with bulk water pipelines transporting the water to tankerships at New Brunswick ports for worldwide sale. The pipelines could also provide the massive quantities of fresh water needed to extract natural gas by hydraulic fracturing at both ends of the proposed corridor. (See Natural gas fracking leases surround Maine to the East and West ). One active fracking operation can use as much as 13 million gallons of fresh water over its lifespan. (source).
Given the devastation this proposed corridor represents, Defending Water for Life decided to mobilize opposition by facilitating the creation of a statewide coalition of Maine people, now known as Stop the East-West Corridor (STEWC). Maine Coordinator, Chris Buchanan, has been spearheading an educational campaign, facilitating communication and resource-sharing among resistance groups, and developing the foundation to mobilize action statewide. Here is a brief timeline of our successes to date.
- November, 2011: Peter Vigue, CEO of Cianbro Corporation, announces plans for an East-West Corridor (EWC) to business leaders in Bangor. We started organizing.
- February 14, 2012: Defending Water became the first public opponent of the EWC when we organized a protest outside the State House when legislators were considering emergency legislation to appropriate $300,000 for an investor-grade feasibility study for the private EWC. This eventually led to formation of the Stop the East-West Corridor coalition (STEWC) .
- May 31, 2012: After months of regular meetings facilitated by Chris in Waterville, Newport, and Sangerville, STEWC announced its creation at a public rally and speak-out in Dover-Foxcroft attended by over 200 people. Then when Peter Vigue spoke at Foxcroft Academy across the street, over 500 people filled the gymnasium, at least half of whom were wearing blaze orange as a symbol of resistance.
- STEWC was formalized with a steering committee and with Chris as statewide coordinator. Members develop strategy by consensus, organize events, and support local groups as they form by providing resources and facilitating communication and collaboration among decentralized efforts. Formation of local town groups started in early 2012 and continues to this day.
- August 12, 2013: The Maine Small Business Coalition released a statement in opposition to the EWC after conversations with Chris.
- Summer, 2013: Working with other statewide organizations, we succeeded in having the state legislature rescind financing for the feasibility study. We were also successful in getting the confidentiality clause in Maine's Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) law overturned which would have made it much easier for EWC proponents to more forward.
- Release of 30-minute documentary video, Stop the East-West Corridor. Produced, directed, and edited by Chris Buchanan. Post-production editing and endless support by Regis Tremblay of Woolwich. This is a critical organizing tool, now available to view for free. Additional organizing tools we helped develop through STEWC include: an informational public website with local groups and contact information to maximize accessibility and local involvement; a facebook page; an email notification list so folks can communicate with each other across the state; informational handouts; availability to present in any town; and, monthly face to face meetings that rotate location.
- To date, presentations by Chris and meetings with local leaders to discuss the EWC proposal and jump-start local groups have occurred in: Abbot*, Alton, Bingham, Charleston*, Dexter*, Dover-Foxcroft*, East Madison, Garland*, Indian Island*, Millinocket, Monson*, Newport, Old Town, Orono, Parkman*, Sangerville*, Belfast, Brooks, Brunswick, Rockland, Unity, Beddington*, Blue Hill, Calais, Eastport*, Ellsworth*, Machias, Southwest Harbor, Trescott Twp., the Forks*, North Conway NH, Stratton / Eustis, Waterville*, and Portland. (*denotes towns that have some form of local group.)
- To date, seven towns have passed a moratorium, resolution, or rights-based-law to protect themselves from Corridor development.
- And much, much more!
To continue, we need your help.
Defending Water for Life is committed to ending the threat of the East-West Corridor for good, while empowering local communities to self-organize. While we have made significant progress, we would be foolish to underestimate the resources Cianbro and its allies in the resource extraction and energy industries can bring to bear. Canada is also a powerful player as they seek routes to get Alberta tar sands to East Coast ports. They will go wherever they can beat back the resistance. Moving forward, we are going to continue the ongoing initiatives above, as well as renew our focus on the threat to water in Maine, especially in the face of accelerating climate change. For more information about future initiatives, please contact us!
Defending Water for Life is a very small, grassroots project that depends on funding from private foundations and individual donors. Our current expenses run about $60,000 on a very slim budget, and the money goes directly into our work. We use the funding to pay: personnel, 77%: the Maine Coordinator 24 hours a week year-round, the Alliance's coordinator 24 hours total for the entire year, and a campaign assistant 8 hours a week year-round; and program costs, 23%: printing, copying, DVDs, posters, tabling fees, etc.
The Northeast Harbor art show is designed to:
· provide a public venue for art which showcases the beauty and diversity of Maine along the corridor route
· support artists who create this art by displaying their art for sale in Northeast Harbor during the height of the summer season on Mt. Desert Island
· raise funds to continue Defending Water’s critical organizing to stop the EWC.
We hope you will be able to participate in some way. If you are unable to participate, but interested in supporting us, please contact us.