Gov. Bob McDonnell’s decision to reverse his predecessor’s ban on the state’s purchase of individual-sized bottled water is coming under fire from those who claim that he might have made the decision at the request of his friends in the industry, the Virginia Politics blog reports.
Former Republican delegate Chris Saxman, board member of the International Bottled Water Association and employee of Shenandoah Valley Water Co., a major water bottler in Virginia, has served as an education adviser to McDonnell.
Corporate Accountability International, a Boston-based nonprofit organization which promotes strong public water systems, among other issues, alleges that Saxman’s company is the single largest recipient of state money spent on bottled water, including more than $101,000 in fiscal 2009.
But Saxman said Tuesday that his company primarily sells five-gallon containers of water, not individual water bottles. He also said that he did not speak to McDonnell or anyone in his administration about the decision.
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Information from: Richmond Times-Dispatch
– Associated Press
By Mike McPhate | July 13, 2010; 6:01 AM ET
Categories: Virginia
