NC0004308_Lela Moore_20150713

From: Lela R. Moore <[e-mail]>
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2015 2:56 PM
To: Rodriguez, Teresa
Subject: Alcoa's Permit
Dear Ms. Rodriguez,
It has come to my attention that Alcoa has applied for a wastewater and stormwater permit with no cyanide
limits for the next three years. It clearly states on NCDENR's website that your goal is to protect: fish, wildlife,
wilderness areas, air quality, water quality, and the public's health. It also says, "The agency's activities range
from helping make sure drinking water is safe to managing state parks for safe and enjoyable outdoor
recreation experiences." If you grant Alcoa this permit, you would be doing to exact opposite of your goals. I can
tell you at least one way that granting them this permit will negatively effect each one of the subjects that you
are supposed to be protecting. Alcoa has been known for their environmental degradation as well as their
impacts on the health of surrounding communities. Yet, they are not being held accountable for their actions
but rather given more privileges. I want you to ask yourself if you would allow your loved ones to swim, drink, or
eat fish out of a river or lake where a company had no limits on the amount of cyanide they could dump into it.
If your answer is yes, I would like you to read up on the harmful effects of cyanide.
I am not sure where NCDENR lost its way. As an environmentalist and a North Carolina resident I am ashamed
of the actions and decisions that our DENR have made in the past. This department should be full of people that
love this beautiful state that we live in and the environment that we take for granted every single day. This
permit is not about myself or Alcoa, it is about future generations having healthy water to drink and where they
do not have to worry about the health risks involved in swimming in a lake. It is also about our future
generations being able to see and experience our natural world and not having to learn about them in a book
because they are extinct. I encourage you to reread your department's goals and what you were established to
protect.
A concerned college student,
Lela Moore