National Park Service Overturns Ban on Bottled Water

WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today thanked the National Park
Service (NPS) for reversing
its December 2011 ban on bottled water in national parks.

CAGW President Tom Schatz said in a statement:

“The NPS ban on bottled water was silly and illogical from its
inception, particularly because the ban did not include the sale of less
healthy drinks such as soda, juices, and energy drinks that are also
packaged in plastic. CAGW began to investigate
and question the decision, but found little to no provable environmental
or scientific rationale
for the ban.

“Water is the most essential nutrient for people, especially when they
exercise and hike, and the ban made it more difficult and costly to
drink water when it was needed. Overturning the senseless and
ineffective ban on bottled water at all national parks should be
celebrated by all Americans.”

Background:

• Then-NPS Director Jonathan Jarvis released
  a policy memorandum on December 14, 2011, which encouraged parks to
  ban the sale of water contained in disposable plastic bottles.
• Acting National Park Service Director Michael T. Reynolds “discontinued”
  the policy today.
• “Currently only 23 of the 417 National Park Service sites have
  implemented the policy.”
• “The revocation of the memorandum, which was put in place on December
  14, 2011, is effective immediately.”

CAGW
is the nation’s largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to
eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.

Contacts

Citizens Against Government Waste
Curtis Kalin, 202-467-5318