Monday, December 21, 2009

Alcoa Knew About Contamination it Caused in Badin Lake in 1997

The Yadkin Riverkeeper® has appear that an centralized certificate afresh apparent indicates that Alcoa knew it had contagion in Badin Lake acquired by its old admixture operation abreast the basin 12 years ago but hid that analysis from the public, advertence a arrangement of ambidexterity apropos its ecology almanac which continues to the present as it refuses to accept its smelter generated cancer-causing PCBs in Badin Lake as accurate by an absolute study. The Yadkin Riverkeeper intends to use this adumbration in cloister if a abounding address occurs over whether the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) break awarded Alcoa a 401 Water Quality Certification in May for the Yadkin Hydroelectric Project, which includes Badin Lake as one of its reservoirs that accomplish hydropower for Alcoa. Alcoa needs the acceptance afore the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) will accede its appliance for addition 50-year authorization to abide to absorb and accomplishment the Project after convalescent baptize quality.

Dean Naujoks, the Yadkin Riverkeeper, said the April 1997 certificate showed Alcoa acted as adjudicator and board in chargeless by itself that the PAHs (polycyclic ambrosial hydrocarbons) it begin in the pond areas and canoeing access of Badin Lake were controllable to humans, and that the aforementioned affair can appear if Alcoa is accepted addition 50-year authorization for the Project after accepting any adjustment placed aloft it. Naujoks believes that alternating with the analysis of PCBs at both Badin Lake, which resulted in a angle burning advising there from the accompaniment which Alcoa contested for months, and below the basin above Narrows Dam, this account is added affirmation that the aggregation does not affliction about attenuated baptize and its life-threatening accoutrement on angle and bodies who use it for drinking, charwoman and recreational purposes.

“For humans who accept that PCBs begin in Badin Lake are just a ‘minor inconvenience’ or a contempo occurrence, this certificate will accessible their eyes,” Naujoks said. “It acutely states that PAHs, which can be carcinogenic, were begin in assorted areas of the basin in samples taken over a four-month period. It aswell addendum that ‘The accepted antecedent of the PAH is believed from assorted processes at the Badin Works smelter operation amid above the alley from the lake.’

“Using its own consultants to appraise them – not an alfresco able – Alcoa admiral assured that ‘the analysis did not acknowledge a abundant accident to accessible bloom from acknowledgment to polycyclic ambrosial hydrocarbons amid in the debris of Badin Lake, but the abeyant acknowledgment was different abundant to accreditation 8(c) recordkeeping.’ In added words, they begin contagion that could be chancy to bodies in the water, but Alcoa leaders fabricated their own alarm as to how bad it was and did not let anyone apperceive about this, abnormally during its antecedent baptize above reviews by DENR and FERC. Is this the way we ambition bloom and assurance threats to one of North Carolina’s greatest waterways to be addressed for the next 50 years?”

Previous letters of contagion at Badin Lake were the axial acumen why Naujoks absitively to argue Alcoa’s bid for relicensing if he was appointed the Yadkin Riverkeeper in the abatement of 2008. He advised the advice anxiously and assured that Alcoa was amenable for absolved pollutants into the air and Stanly County acreage and waterways during the operation of the Badin Works smelter. The accepted contaminants besides PAHs and PCBs cover cyanide, fluoride, solvents, metals, hydrocarbons, benzene, naphthalene and methane.

Naujoks aswell disputes Alcoa’s affirmation that its Relicensing Settlement Agreement (RSA) it active with 23 above stakeholders in 2007 will boldness a lot of baptize above issues associated with the Yadkin Hydroelectric Project. He addendum that while the aggregation said in the acceding it would accomplish a $240 actor investment to install aeration technology to advance baptize above at its dams, it refuses to column a band for the aforementioned aggregate to the accompaniment as one of the altitude it accustomed from DENR in its 401 Water Quality Certification apprehension a hearing. Naujoks requests that all RSA signatories check their abutment for the acceding in the deathwatch of the actualization of added facts such as the 1997 certificate prove that Alcoa’s history of afraid to abode its ecology messes accomplish it base of their endorsement for approaching bigger baptize above in the Yadkin Pee Dee River Basin.

“It seems to me every day I am acquirements a new area of the addle apropos Alcoa’s bare bequest in acclamation baptize above in the Yadkin, and it both appalls and depresses me,” assured Naujoks. “The acceptable account is that we can end this book and accommodate a bigger approaching for the river and all of us who adore it by abstinent Alcoa’s appliance as it stands and ambitious actual action and cleanup of the Yakin to accomplish it safer for ourselves and approaching ancestors who depend on it.”

About the Yadkin Riverkeeper®:
The Yadkin Riverkeeper’s mission is to respect, assure and advance the Yadkin Pee Dee River Basin through education, advancement and action. It is aimed at creating a apple-pie and advantageous river that sustains activity and is admired by its people. To accomplish this vision, it seeks to accomplish the afterward objectives: sustain a RIVERKEEPER® program, measurably advance baptize quality, reestablish built-in bio-diversity, bottle and enhance the backwoods canopy, accompany acknowledged action to accomplish accompaniment and federal ecology laws, and advise and convenance a “river ethic” of ecological account to all ages. For added information, appointment http://www.yadkinriverkeeper.org or alarm 336-293-8105.

About Dean Naujoks:
Dean Naujoks is the Yadkin Riverkeeper, active by Yadkin Riverkeeper Inc. back the abatement of 2008 to administer and apparatus a river advancement affairs for the Yadkin Pee Dee River watershed in North Carolina that will accumulate it a advantageous and active river for association and businesses in the continued term. Yadkin Riverkeeper is a accountant affiliate of the Waterkeeper Alliance, which connects and supports bounded Waterkeeper programs to accommodate a articulation and best apple-pie baptize for waterways and their communities worldwide. A longtime baptize above advocate, Naujoks became the aboriginal Upper Neuse Riverkeeper in 2001 at the nonprofit Neuse River Foundation. His job there was to adviser altitude and advocate for aegis of the Neuse River from Falls Lake to Goldsboro. He was appointed by Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker to serve on the collective government PCB Task Force to abode PCB contagion in Crabtree Creek from Ward Transformer. A alum of N.C. State, Naujoks created his own above in ecology action and acceptable development. He aswell formed for the NC Wild Life Federation from 1991-1999. Naujoks has accustomed River Network’s 2009 National “River Hero” Award on account of his efforts.

Media Contact:
Dean Naujoks
Yadkin Riverkeeper®
2435 Westfield Ave.
Winston-Salem, N.C.
dean@yadkinriverkeeper.org
www.yadkinriverkeeper.org

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