Chaffee County Commissioners continued the hearing process yesterday for Nestle Waters North America’s request to extend their 1041 permit for another 10 years.
Nestle Waters North America’s parent company Nestle SA was recently sold and is now called Blue Triton.
Commissioners heard the results of an economic analysis of Blue Triton Brands’ local springwater operations from Doug Jeavons of BBC Research and Consulting in Denver.
Like the Harvey Economics report commissioned by Chaffee County, the BBC report concluded that Blue Triton produces just over $1 million in annual Chaffee County economic benefit from the Blue Triton operation.
A key difference between the two reports is the BBC rejection of the Harvey Economics assertion that the water that Blue Triton uses carries an “opportunity cost.”
Jeavons explained that an opportunity cost is what you give up to get something else. In this case, BBC finds no opportunity cost associated with Blue Triton use of local spring water because the use of that water will not limit the amount of water available for other economic activities for at least 10 years and possible 30 years.
Jeavons reported that the actual cost to the county from Blue Triton’s operations is “around $30,000 per year, which is offset by property taxes and direct reimbursement of county costs.”
