Veolia Water makes the 'shame file' ...

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

Pipeline company 'shamed'

3 February 2007

A giant French company involved in two of southeast Queensland's biggest water projects has a history of corruption, environmental degradation and price-gouging.

Paris-based Veolia Water has been awarded lucrative Queensland Government contracts to build and operate the Gold Coast desalination plant and western corridor recycled water pipeline.

But it can be revealed the company has been named on a "shame file" by Washington-based consumer watchdog Public Citizen, founded by activist and former American presidential candidate Ralph Nader.

Veolia has been embroiled in controversy since entering Australia in 1994.

Questions were raised in Federal Parliament about how it was awarded a $1.5 billion contract to manage Adelaide's water supply, which has since been hit with problems including a major sewage stench problem and a giardia outbreak.

Two years ago, the NSW Government ordered an audit investigation into Veolia's background after it bid for a contentious desalination plant earmarked for Sydney. The probe cleared Veolia to proceed with its bid.

See - Courier Mail - named and shamed.