20070812 Ver 1_Public Comments_20080501 (2216)

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Apri129, 2008
Mr. John Dorney
401 Development Unit Supervisor
NC Department of Environment
and Natural Resources
2321 Crabtree Boulevard
Raleigh, North Carolina 27604
Re: Section 401 Water Quality Certification
DWQ Project Number 2007-0812
Dear Mr. Dorney:
MAY 1 2008
DENR -WATER (lUAU17'
y~7~,ANDS AND ~~p~p1ER BRANr'F~
I am writing to you in response to Alcoa Power Generating, Inc.'s ("APGI") request for a Section 401
water quality certificate in connection with its current relicensing of the Yadkin Hydroelectric Project,
FERC Project No. 2197. As a citizen, I am concerned about the impact the proposed Yadkin Project
activities may have on Badin Lake and related water bodies in the Yadkin River, as well as the citizens of
Stanly County.
Our County Commissioners have raised environmental questions pertaining to the lake system that is a
part of the "APGI Yadkin" Project. Alcoa/APGI gave testimony before the Superior Court of King
County, Washington, that after 70 plus years of free stack emissions and buried toxins associated with
Aluminum smelting, the estimated costs of cleaning up the contamination associated with its smelting
operations in Badin, NC would exceed $50 million dollars. In a contested case proceeding in the Office
of Administrative Hearings, we learned that the information that our community had sent to DENR for
review was not given appropriate review. MTT rates Aluminum as one of the 10 most toxic
manufacturing processes on the planet. It is well known that the operation of the Badin Works resulted in
contamination both on the site of the facility and in the close by water supply.
Stanly County, our local government, has sent to DENR the results of its studies, as well as the new
information about the situation at Badin that we have just recently discovered. After you read these
ma±erials, I am canfident, that if all the information is reviewed, that the state of North Carolina, as a
responsible government unit, will not issue a Section 401 water quality certificate unless it has assured
the safety and well being of its citizens to use Badin Lake and other Project reservoirs for drinking,
recreation, fishing, swimming and other human activities, with adequate conditions and monitoring
requirements, for at least the next 50 years, which is the term that Alcoa is asking for its new license.
To make certain the job is done right, we ask that you not issue this certificate until the appropriate time is
taken to fully evaluate the environmental impacts to the Yadkin basin and our region from the Badin
Works operations and APGI's hydro dams (and to utilize all available means to accomplish that important
task).
Sincerely,
v
Roger L. Dick
cc: Mr. Jerry D. Myers, County Manager, Stanly County
P. O. Box 338, Albemarle, NC 28002-0338 Telephone: [phone] Fax: [phone]
www. UwharrieCapitalCorp.com