Iredell County Adopts Resolution Opposing Alcoa’s Private Ownership Of The Yadkin River

Iredell County Board of Commissioners have publicly announced their support for North Carolina citizens and state officials who oppose Alcoa’s request to obtain a 50-year license to control, govern and sustain private ownership of water flowing from the Yadkin River, one of the longest rivers in North Carolina. On May 20, 2008, the Iredell County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously 5-0 to adopt a resolution opposing private ownership of what is known as the Yadkin Hydroelectric Project, comprised of four hydroelectric stations, dams and reservoirs along a 38-mile stretch of the Yadkin River in central North Carolina. The four water reservoirs are High Rock, Tuckertown, Narrows and Falls. The Yadkin-Pee Dee Watershed as a whole includes 21 counties, including Iredell, and contains 93 state municipalities.

Alcoa first obtained a 50-year license for the Yadkin Hydroelectric Project in 1958. That license expired on April 30, 2008. Instead of granting Alcoa another 50-year license, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) decided only to allow the corporation a one-year extension. At stake is an estimated $45 million in annual electric power revenue and water rights that Alcoa’s opponents across the state believe should belong to the public, not the private multinational corporation.

The resolution signed by the Iredell County Board of Commissioners requests the Governor of North Carolina to intervene in and oppose the application to the FERC by Alcoa for a 50-year license to control the waters of the Yadkin River along with its lakes and tributaries. Over the last three months, similar resolutions have been signed by Davidson, Randolph, and Cabarrus County Boards of Commissioners, as well as the Centralina Council of Governments.

The text of the resolution signed by the Iredell County Board of Commissioners is as follows:

WHEREAS, Iredell County is located within the Yadkin-Pee Dee Watershed; and

WHEREAS, the citizens of Iredell County depend on the availability of potable water from the Yadkin River; and

WHEREAS, the entire State of North Carolina is currently in the midst of an ongoing extreme drought and this drought has detrimentally affected the citizens of Iredell County; and

WHEREAS, the multi-national corporation, Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) currently holds a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license which gives it near total control over the waters of the Yadkin River and its lakes and tributaries for the sole purpose of generating profits for itself in excess of $40 Million Dollars per year; and

WHEREAS, the current license held by Alcoa is set to expire in April of 2008 and Alcoa is currently applying to FERC to grant it another license which would give it control over the Yadkin River and its lakes and tributaries for the next 50 years; and

WHEREAS, the citizens of Iredell County and North Carolina are the lawful owners of the waters and natural resources of the State of North Carolina; and

WHEREAS, given the current and expected future drought conditions in North Carolina the State of North Carolina should act in the interest of its citizens to recapture authority and control over the Yadkin River and its lakes and tributaries to ensure that the waters of the State of North Carolina are properly protected and remain available to the citizens in times of drought and emergency conditions; and

WHEREAS, the citizens of Iredell County and North Carolina are dependent upon their government to act in their best interests and to prevent a multi-national corporation from taking and maintaining control of the water and natural resources on which they depend for basic needs.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Iredell County Board of Commissioners respectfully request Michael F. Easley, Governor of the State of North Carolina, for his the foregoing reasons and in the interest of justice and for the benefit of the citizens of Iredell County and North Carolina, to intervene in the ongoing licensing hearings before FERC and formally object to Alcoa being granted a new license that gives it near absolute authority and control over the Yadkin River and its lakes and tributaries for the next 50 years.

The resolution was signed by Marvin Norman, Chairman of the Iredell County Board of Commissioners and Jean C. Moore, Clerk to the Board. The Iredell County Board of Commissioners are: Chairman Marvin Norman, Stephen D. Johnson, Sara Haire Tice, Kenneth M. Robertson, Jr. and R. Godfrey Williams. Tuesday’s meeting was held at the Iredell County Government Center located at 200 South Center Street in Statesville, N.C.

Quotes:
"We applaud the Iredell County Board of Commissioners for adopting this resolution," said Stanly County Commissioner Lindsey Dunevant. "Counties across the state of North Carolina are recognizing this issue as a critical and timely matter that affects all North Carolinians. We hope that the support shown in Iredell County will bring additional state and federal action for our cause, which we believe ultimately acts in the best interests of all North Carolina citizens."

Related Links:
www.co.iredell.nc.us/welcome.asp
www.co.iredell.nc.us/Commissioners/commiss.asp
www.statesville.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=SRL/MGArticle/SRL_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173355560942

About This Effort:
In 1958, Alcoa, the world’s leading producer of primary aluminum, secured a federal hydroelectric license for the Yadkin Project on the Yadkin River in Stanly, Davidson, Montgomery and Rowan Counties in the Central Piedmont. In return, Alcoa promised aluminum manufacturing jobs for Stanly County for years to come. Alcoa has now essentially disappeared as a major employer in the region and shut down its manufacturing plants, but it wants to continue reaping the benefits of the Yadkin River after its license expires in April of this year. In addition, Alcoa discharged hazardous pollutants into North Carolina air and waterways for decades while harvesting immense profits from the Yadkin River, but has yet to finish cleaning up that contamination. It has filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to obtain another 50-year license. If Alcoa is successful, one of North Carolina’s most valuable water resources will be used to maximize Alcoa’s profits, instead of being used to benefit the people of North Carolina, who themselves are in dire need of affordable electricity, local economic development, and clean, adequate drinking water.

Patty Briguglio
MMI Associates, Inc.
(919) 233-6600
patty@mmimarketing.com
PR Firms Raleigh, NC