Incendiary devices found at water-bottling plant

Tri-City Herald/September 24, 2003

Martiny Township, Mich. -- Four incendiary devices were found inside a water-bottling plant's pumping station, and a radical environmental group said it was responsible.

Plastic bottles containing a flammable liquid were discovered Monday by Ice Mountain Spring Water Co. workers. No one was hurt removing the bottles, and water monitored at the plant showed no signs of tampering.

Company spokeswoman Deb Wudyka said Wednesday the liquid apparently was meant to start a fire rather than cause an explosion.

The Earth Liberation Front claimed responsibility, accusing Ice Mountain of stealing well water for profit.

Ice Mountain is a division of Greenwich, Conn.-based Nestle Waters North America Inc., formerly Perrier Group of America Inc.

ELF has claimed responsibility for many arson fires at housing construction sites in the West and Midwest.

"Clean water is one of the most fundamental necessities and no one can be allowed to privatize it, commodify it, and try and sell it back to us," the group said in a statement.

Wudyka declined to comment on the statement.

FBI spokeswoman Dawn Clenney said Wednesday that agents were following "a number of leads."