Friends of the Earth To Deliver Bottles of "World Bank Springs"
Water to World Bank; Will Present Water Bill for $318 Million

Press release

Contact: Colleen Freeman of Friends of the Earth,
202-783-7400 ext. 121 or 202-257-0728 (cell)

News Advisory:

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY -- GOOD VISUALS

WHEN:
Wednesday, September 25, 2002
12 Noon

WHERE:
1818 H St. N.W. - Starting at Murrow Park across from World Bank
Entrance

WHO:
Friends Of The Earth

Citizens worldwide have expressed serious concern, and in some
cases outrage, over the World Bank's policy of promoting the
privatization of water systems in developing countries. The most
notorious case of water privatization under pressure from the World
Bank occurred in Cochabamba, Bolivia. The water rates of many poor
residents rose to 25 percent of their household incomes when a
consortium controlled by the US-owned Bechtel Corporation
privatized the Cochabamba water system in 1999.

Friends of the Earth (FoE) will deliver large quantities of
"World Bank Springs" tap water bottles (including cooler-sized
bottles) to the 1818 H St. entrance of the World Bank. FoE will
present an a water bill to World Bank President James Wolfensohn
for $318 million, 25 percent of the World Bank's annual
administrative budget of $1.27 billion -- a rate comparable to the
water rates charged poor Cochabamba residents by the Bechtel
consortium.

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Friends of the Earth International is the world's largest
grassroots environmental network with member groups in 70
countries.

http://www.usnewswire.com
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/U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
09/25 11:00