Lewis County Planning Commission to Consider Zoning Change at Request of Crystal Geyser Opponents

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The latest maneuver in efforts to block Crystal Geyser’s proposed water bottling plant along the Cowlitz River in Randle will get a hearing next month before the Lewis County Planning Commission — a move opponents hope will put a stop to the controversial plan. 

About 30 residents packed the Planning Commission’s meeting Tuesday to request a zoning change that would disallow large-scale commercial water bottling in rural zones. After hearing from community members, officials agreed to schedule a workshop for the upcoming Aug. 27 meeting to address the request. 

“It was a really great meeting for us,” said Craig Jasmer, one of the leaders of the Lewis County Water Alliance group that has sprung up to oppose the project. “We gained some huge traction toward our end goal and learned a lot.”

According to Jasmer, the county changed its code less than a year ago to allow for standalone food and beverage manufacturing in rural zones. That moved was largely designed to accommodate wineries and breweries, but opened the door for Crystal Geyser’s proposed bottling plant in Randle.

That plan, which would construct a 100,000 square foot plant and pull 400 gallons per minute from springs on the site, has drawn fierce opposition locally. Residents say they’re worried about the aquifer, the health of the river and the rural character of the land. Groups ranging from the Cowlitz Tribal Council to Columbia Riverkeeper have taken stances opposing the plant.

The furor grew earlier this month when Crystal Geyser accidentally emailed The Chronicle plans to conduct an “astroturf” PR campaign to create the impression of local support for the project, as well as plans to sue a neighboring subdivision to exert leverage and “get them to the table.” While stating that the plant was likely “dead” due to strong local opposition, company chief operating officer Page Beykpour said the “long shot” strongarm and subterfuge tactics would cost Crystal Geyser little. 

Opponents to the project have made strong showings at town halls, county commission hearings and bureaucratic meetings in recent weeks, getting a fast education on the workings of local government. Jasmer said the change proposed by the Water Alliance — and the receptiveness of county leaders to the revision — shows tangible progress. 

“To have almost 30 people from the public in Randle, (Planning Commission members) were blown away,” he said. “We didn't know if we were making progress until the very end when it came time for this motion, when they all unanimously agreed that they should address this at the next meeting.”

On Aug. 27, the Planning Commission will conduct a workshop based on the Water Alliance’s request, which would limit commercial water bottling to “5,000 gallons consumptive use of water per day” — the same amount allowed for homeowners with exempt wells. Crystal Geyser’s proposal would exact hundreds of thousands of gallons per day from the site.

“We had a very good turnout,” said Bob Whannel, chair of the Planning Commission. “Lots of our meetings have absolutely no public input, and it's always great to hear from the citizens. ... We're actually going to have a workshop on their issues at the August meeting. They will be on the agenda to present their case.”



Neither Whannel nor Jasmer could say with certainty whether the workshop would include a Planning Commission vote on the measure that same day.

“I would think that would be premature to speculate on,” Whannel said. “We will accept the testimony that is given to us. If we need more information, then we will schedule another meeting. ... Once we make any decision or vote, then it has to go to the county commissioners for their approval.”

County commissioners rely heavily on the decisions of the Planning Commission, and it would be very unusual for them to vote against a measure recommended by their land-use experts. 

“We need to take a look at that,” said county commissioner Gary Stamper, who attended the Planning Commission meeting to hear from the constituents in his district. “You don’t want to change codes just for the sake of changing codes, but if it’s something specific, I think it’s worthwhile taking a look at it, and it needs to probably move forward.”

County commissioner Edna Fund said county staff members are putting together a meeting with the commissioners and civil deputy prosecutor Eric Eisenberg to discuss in depth the zoning proposal outlined in the meeting. 

“We’d like to address that as soon as we can,” she said. “It just shows how Randle operates. The citizenry — when they need to show up, they show up.”

Meanwhile, Crystal Geyser is still in a holding pattern for its water withdrawal permit from the Department of Ecology. The company has not yet submitted results from its test wells on the property that the agency will need to review before issuing a permit. According to Ecology spokesperson Keeley Belva, it has three years to submit that information.

After it does so, it must file public notice, after which public comments or formal protests can be made. Ecology’s basis for issuing a permit depends on a four-part test — the water is physically and legally available, it will be put to beneficial use, will not impair senior water rights and is in the public interest. Belva said that under law, commercial bottling is considered a “beneficial use” by the state. 

Asked whether Crystal Geyser’s leaked threats to the community could be factored into Ecology’s decision, section manager Mike Gallagher said the agency is not allowed to deviate from its criteria for a withdrawal permit. 

“That’s strictly what I make the decision on,” he said. “Issues like that are strictly between Crystal Geyser and the newspaper. … We follow the regulatory protocol with this and every application we receive.”