Lawmakers will consider a penny-a-gallon tax on bottled water today that Poland Spring has said would cost the company $7 million a year.
The Taxation Committee is holding a public hearing on the bill, which would apply to bottlers that extract more than 1 million gallons annually and package water in containers of 5 gallons or less, WGAN reported. Revenue from the tax would benefit water quality protection and provide tax relief for Maine residents and municipalities where water is extracted. Poland Spring, a subsidiary of Nestle Waters North America, says the tax would cost it 20% of its annual payroll and put Maine jobs at risk, the Portland Press Herald reported. The company employs 800 people in Maine.
Poland Spring is facing a number of water measures, including other bills before the Natural Resources Committee today that include a proposal to create a commission to study the implications of groundwater extraction and two bills to make groundwater a resource in the public trust, as is surface water. On Wednesday, the State and Local Government Committee will consider legislation that would allow municipalities to deny corporations their constitutional rights, the paper reported.
For more on Poland Spring’s presence in Maine, read “Tapping in.”