Sun Belt Water Inc. is an American

water Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...

transportation company based in

Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara (, meaning ) is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States excepting A ...

. Sun Belt Water is better known for filing a lawsuit against Canada for $10.5 billion US over access to BC Water.

History

Sun Belt Water, Inc. was organized as a

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

C-corp in March 1990 for the purpose of responding to the invitation from the

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

government to invest in the new and emerging industry to export the BC surplus water by marine transport systems. In October 1999, the company filed a

North American Free Trade Agreement The North American Free Trade Agreement (, TLCAN; , ALÉNA), referred to colloquially in the Anglosphere as NAFTA, ( ) was an agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States that created a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The ...

(NAFTA) Chapter 11 Notice of Claim and Demand for Arbitration with the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (

UNCITRAL The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) ( French: ''Commission des Nations Unies pour le droit commercial international (CNUDCI)'') is a subsidiary body of the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) responsible for helping to f ...

) against the

government of Canada The Government of Canada (), formally His Majesty's Government (), is the body responsible for the federation, federal administration of Canada. The term ''Government of Canada'' refers specifically to the executive, which includes Minister of t ...

for a dispute regarding access to water from the province of

. The issue of water exports has a high level of political sensitivity in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and public interest groups are opposed to the issue. In 1999, Sun Belt Water. Inc. abandoned its case in Canada's

court system The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

and filed an Arbitration claim against Canada under Chapter 11 of the NAFTA claiming access of fresh water from Canada or damages of $995 million. Sun Belt Water, Inc. v. Government of Canada Sun Belt Water, Inc., a United States company, served the Government of Canada with a 'Notice of Intent to Submit a Claim to Arbitration' in November 1998. No valid claim has been filed. There is no Chapter Eleven arbitration on this matter. (link below)

References

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External links

http://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/topics-domaines/disp-diff/sunbelt.aspx?lang=eng * www.sunbeltwater.com Company website (domain no longer valid) Companies based in Santa Barbara County, California