20070812 Ver 2_NC House rejects government takeover_20090811 (2)

Dorney, John
From: Ellis, H. Gene (Long View Associates) [[e-mail]]
Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2009 1:34 PM
Subject: The Yadkin Report - August 2009
Yadkin
Lake InforMation & ROicensiing News
K('e]) t11) NVith ItIC' latc Stn 41?.s thiI ()It(Ill (Att. blog: In the Community

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, Alcoa sponsors Montgomery
County teacher to attend

RelicenSing Nt\v's
` environmental
workshop in
Colorado

I, ,C Ilorrse rejects gorcrninent takeover ()l's lcoik property iti decisive When the school year begins in
September at East Middle School in
Biscoe, 8th grade students will find
new environmental lessons in their
RALEIGH - The N.C. House voted in overwhelming numbers to reject an classrooms, thanks to Alcoa and the
unprecedented and costly government takeover of Alcoa's hydroelectric business Alcoa Foundation,
along the Yadkin River in central North Carolina. Senate Bill 967, sponsored by
Sen. Fletcher Hartsell, failed in a floor vote by a wide margin, 66-39, with Alcoa Foundation provided financial
bipartisan support. support to send Science teacher Kerr
Brewer to The Keystone Center's Key
"Legislators sent a clear message that they do not support the taking of private Issues
Institute: "
Bringing
gi

business. The more they learned about this issue, it became evident that passing Environmental
Issues
the
Classroom" in Colorado in July. Brew(
this legislation would set a dangerous precedent for North Carolina," said Gene will implement ideas she learns at th(
Ellis, an Alcoa spokesman. "We appreciate the strong support of the N.C. House institute for the benefit of nearly 100
and remain committed to fighting any future efforts by Gov. Perdue to take our students that she'll be teaching durin
business against our will." the upcoming academic year.
The bill would have established a state trust with the authority to seize the Yadkin "I am excited about meeting teacher
Hydroelectric Project, a privately-owned business that has been generating clean from around the country and getting

renewable energy in North Carolina since 1915. ideas
to use in the classroom. I am
always interested in learning new
information and new ideas that I can
Legislators tried to quickly maneuver the bill through the General Assembly this share with my students," Brewer said
week after the House Water Resources Committee reversed itself and voted the bill shortly before heading to Colorado. ".
out of committee. The bill was heard twice Thursday by the House Public Utilities am very grateful for the opportunity i
Committee, which passed the bill at a hastily called afternoon meeting. The bill attend this workshop."
then bypassed the House Finance Committee and was sent straight to the House
floor. Brewer is one of 16 teachers selected
by 13 Alcoa locations in 11 states wh
Opponents of a state takeover - including lakefront homeowners, property rights will be attending the 2009
advocates and local officials in Stanly County -expressed serious concerns about Environmental issues workshops ove

the proposed takeover this week. Their concerns included the potential cost to the summer. Since 1997, Alcoa
Foundation has strengthened the skit'
1
North Carolina taxpayers of $500 million or more; the fundamental violation of
Alcoa's private property rights; and the need to support the federal licensing
process and the Relicensing Settlement Agreement that Alcoa reached with
stakeholders.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the federal agency that
regulates hydroelectric projects in the United States, has all of the information it
needs to issue a new long-term license for the Yadkin Project. FERC staff has
already recommended issuing a new license to Alcoa.
"We remain eager for a new license and look forward to implementing the many
positive benefits included in the Relicensing Settlement Agreement," Ellis said.
Under the terms of the relicensing agreement, Alcoa will continue to improve
water quality in the Yadkin River; allow for increased water withdrawals by local
municipalities; better protect the water supply when drought conditions are
present; set aside thousands of acres for long-term land protection; create new
parks, public swim areas and other recreation opportunities; provide more stable
lake levels and a consistent downstream flow of water; and give homeowners more
flexibility regarding shoreline development.
A,,mthcr Viovpoint
N-() 4atc takeover here
High Point Enterprise
August 9, 2009
Thursday's defeat in the N.C. House of a bill to create the innocent enough
sounding Yadkin River Trust was not just a victory for Alcoa Power Generating
Inc., it was a victory for every business owner and operator in North Carolina.
In effect, the bipartisan majority of the House said businesses in this state should
not have to fear a hostile takeover of their operations by state government because
some state leaders covet the business' profits and operational successes.
Under the guise of protecting and preserving water resources of the Yadkin River -
a noble goal for sure - a cadre of local politicians, property owners and developers
and some rabid environmentalists in Stanly and other counties along the river
wanted to use state government's desire for revenue to force a hostile takeover of a
private business that had operated here for nearly loo years.
This plan simply was wrong. That's not to say, however, that Alcoa should have
free run to do as it wishes in operating its series of lakes and hydroelectric dams
along the Yadkin, including High Rock Lake and dam in Davidson County.
of 131 teachers across 26 states in
delivering sustainability education to
students.
"The teachers that come to the trainii
bring a cadre of experiences and issu
relevant to their communities," said
Dan Schroder, Key Issues Program
Director at The Keystone Center.
"Teachers use the Key Issues
Framework, which meets National
Education Standards in a variety of
disciplines, to implement classroom
plans in their schools that focus on
local environmental issues. Past
session participants have addressed
diverse issues, including water qualit,
wetlands and solid waste managemei
in their respective communities."
"It's important to teach our children
about environmental issues and the
Keystone Center has an excellent
program to help teachers like Kerri
incorporate environmental education
into their lesson plans," Mark Gross,
Operations Manager at APGI. "We arE
proud that Alcoa is helping to send a
teacher from Montgomery County to
the Keystone Center and look forwarc
to seeing how her students benefit
from this experience."
Within the context of a scientific
investigation, teachers spend the we(
in classroom lessons as well as field
activities exploring the environmenta
aspects of a simulated issue. To
augment their classroom
implementation, participants receive
the simulated curriculum, instruction<
materials, computer software
programs, lab kits as well as on-line
support with other educators and
instructors.
For more information about the
Keystone Center, visit
www, keystone._org.
Alcoa does have a responsibility in seeing that environmental concerns stemming Did You Know?
from its closed aluminum smelting plant in Badin are addressed. Alcoa and others
along the river must cooperate in solving water control and environmental issues
that can impact the company as well as people along the river and lakes. And
perhaps, it's time for Alcoa Power Generating to face regulation by the N.C.
Utilities Commission - just as Duke Energy and Progress Energy are - and pay
higher taxes and fees to the state for the right to use the public waterways. ?, , ..
Maybe such matters now can be settled more easily because Alcoa doesn't have to
fear a hostile takeover attempt by North Carolina state government. Alcoa and Apple
Apple recently announced it will begir
construction next month on a $1 billic
Around the Lakes ? data center in Maiden, North Carolina
Welcome to North Carolina,
Drought Managemcot tot
The Yadkin River has been fortunate to avoid the drought conditions that plagued
much of North Carolina last year, but many homeowners and recreational users
want to learn more about how the Yadkin lakes will be managed if and when the
next drought hits.
Background - The Low Inflow Protocol
As part of the Relicensing Settlement Agreement for the Yadkin Project, a new
plan for managing water levels during drought conditions was developed by
stakeholders. This plan - known as the Low Inflow Protocol (LIP) - outlines
specific steps designed to minimize the impact of drought.
The Low Inflow Protocol (LIP) is designed to keep as much water as possible in
the lakes, while continuing to provide a steady flow of water to the communities
located downstream. Here is an overview of some of the ways the LIP protects the
water supply in the Yadkin River:
By requiring Alcoa-Yadkin to adjust its operations, reduce its power
generation and send only a minimum amount of water downstream.
By relying on High Rock Lake, Badin Lake and other large storage
reservoirs along the Yadkin-Pee Dee River to share the responsibility for
sending water downstream. If a drought causes water levels at High Rock
Lake to drop below its normal level, water will then be pulled from other
reservoirs that are still at or above their normal level.
This concept of proportional drawdowns - where water levels are drawn
down equally at multiple lakes - is designed to share the burden caused by
drought and prevent any single reservoir from being unfairly impacted.
By encouraging voluntary water conservation or requiring mandatory
water conservation among municipal and industrial water users.
Conservation requirements will vary based on the severity of the drought.
By bringing together state and federal agencies, hydropower operators,
industrial users, local homeowners and others to regularly assess and
respond to drought conditions. The LIP requires weekly or monthly
meetings of the Yadkin-Pee Dee Drought Management Advisory Group,
depending on the severity of the drought.
Managing Drought Conditions Until A New License Is Issued
Alcoa-Yadkin has agreed to adopt many elements of the Low Inflow Protocol to
protect our water resources, even though the LIP will not officially become
effective until the company receives a new license from the Federal Energy
Did you know that Alcoa provides the
aluminum for Apple's revolutionary Iii
of all-aluminum MacBook laptop
computers?
Apple says this design gives it many
the advantages laptop users crave -
lightness and ruggedness. Plus, it's
more energy efficient than any other
material and it can be recycled.
Influential bloggers have raved about
the design of the MacBook Air and the
fact that is environmentally friendly,
Indeed, the recyclable aluminum
casing is one reason the MacBook Air
has been named on the Top 5 Green
laptops,
This electronic newsletter is designed
to keep the community informed abo
important issues related to the
relicensing of the Yadkin Project.
Sian up for- newsletter Maili"Irl : _;
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Regulatory Commission. Here is a general description of how Alcoa-Yadkin
intends to manage water levels at the Yadkin lakes until a new license is issued:
High Rock Lake: If drought conditions cause water levels at High Rock
Lake drop more than six inches below the "normal minimum elevation" -
which is currently 5 feet below full during the summer recreation season -
Alcoa-Yadkin will begin implementing its drought management plan. If
drought conditions persist and water levels at High Rock Lake drop more
than i foot below the normal minimum elevation, Alcoa-Yadkin will begin
to draw down Badin Lake until the water level at both lakes is roughly
equal. From that point forward, water levels at the two lakes will be drawn
down equally on a foot-by-foot basis.
Badin Lake: Water levels at Badin Lake will typically remain in the
normal operating range (within 3 feet of full) until High Rock Lake falls 6
feet below full. If that happens, water levels at Badin Lake will be drawn
down until it is roughly equal to High Rock Lake. From that point forward,
water levels at the two lakes will be drawn down equally on a foot-by-foot
basis.
• Tuckertown and Falls: These are smaller reservoirs with limited
storage capacity. Reducing water levels at these reservoirs by three feet is
equivalent to drawing down High Rock Lake by about nine inches.
Therefore, the water in these reservoirs is typically used only during
extreme drought conditions.
You will notice some changes in lake operations after a new license is issued. For
instance, one notable difference will be a change in the "normal minimum
elevation" at High Rock Lake from 5 feet below full to 4 feet below full.
Life jackets save lives
Balancing Energy Generation, Recreation and Environmental ResourCE