20070812 Ver 2_City of Albemarle comments_20090309

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CENR - WATER QUALITY
VIETLAJJvS N JO STOR,'d'Y'M ER BRANCH
C itg of &AI hemarl e
,North (fttrulina
(Office of the
?Nttgur aub Citg Cannril
March 2, 2009
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28002-01.30
The Honorable Beverly Perdue
Office of the Governor
20301 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-0301
Dear Governor Perdue,
There is another viewpoint concerning Alcoa and the Yadkin River Basin. I have
enclosed a copy of my letter 4/29/08. The City of Albemarle's view of that letter to date
has not changed.
In order to take over Alcoa's 4 dams and to promote their agenda to the public,
Stanly County Commissioners have to date spent $965,000 plus of tax payers' money.
They have walked the halls of the legislature on a weekly basis to gain state support.
They have been successful.
Why is this issue even on the table? The only true consideration is greed and I am
appalled that the State of North Carolina is buying into this type of thinking.
I ask you to consider the following if Alcoa's dams are taken over by the county
or the state:
1. What industry or manufacturing plant would be interested in coming to NC or
Stanly County if they use natural resources?
2. What future action will be taken concerning Progress Energy's dam on the
Yadkin Basin? They also generate power.
3. What future action will be taken concerning Duke Energy's dams on the
Catawba Basin? They too generate power.
4. What future action will be taken concerning the McGuire Nuclear Plant on the
Catawba Basin? The plant uses millions of gallons of water each day for
cooling.
5. What would be the opinion of reasonable thinking people when they realize
that NC and Stanly County no longer have any regard for the Free Enterprise
System? These and many other questions could be asked about the State and
County's proposed actions.
I served on the Board of Economic Development under Governor Jim Hunt for 8
years and this was not the thinking then and I hope it is not the thinking now.
Water is precious and will continue to be more so as growth continues in our
region. We have no argument with the transfer of water to other basins if that need is
there.
Our argument is that greed for the ownership of Alcoa's land around the lakes and
greed for the revenue that the dams produce are not in the long term best interest of the
County or the State and certainly not in the best interest of the Free Enterprise System.
Alcoa built 4 dams under the Free Enterprise System and Stanly County has
greatly benefited: $500,000 each year in taxes (Alcoa is Stanly County's largest tax
payer); high dollar valuation of land along the Yadkin Basin; recreational use and
tourism; accessible drinking water; water for commercial and industrial use.
Thank you for your time and for reading my comments. I respect the opinion of
others, but I sincerely believe from the bottom of my heart that the State of North
Carolina and the Stanly County Government are treading on dangerous ground in
,per with the Free Enterprise System.
establishing a precedent to tam
Elbert L. Whitley, Jr.
Mayor, City of Albemarle
Cc: County Commissioners
Mayors and Council of the Region
Senators and Representatives
TV Stations
News Media
Radio Stations
Centralina Council of Governments
Bob Jordan
NCDENR
Heads of State
Cnt#g of Athemarle
,Worth (garoli na
Office of the 4/29/08 P.M. Pox 1911
PaVor nub (ttitV Touucil 28002-0190
To whom it may concern:
I am neither friend or foe of Alcoa or APGI
When FERC started meeting in 2002 concerning the relicensing of APGI , the City of
Albemarle was well attended throughout the process. The City of Albemarle basically
got what they asked for in the agreement and that was: the water level would not be
dropped below the intake valve at the Tuckertown Plant and the intake valve at Old
Whitney both intakes being on impounded water by APGI. Further that the City would be
able to draw down 30 million gallons per day and would not have to pay for the loss of
power that the water would have generated up to the daily usage of 11 million gallons per
day. We would have to pay to Alcoa a small charge for water drawn down in excess of
11 million gallons per day because we bypass Alcoa dams with all of our discharge.
The City of Albemarle has been drawing down water from the Yadkin River basin since
the late 1940's. We have been very fortunate that Alcoa over the years has impounded
the water with their dams and we would consider Alcoa to have been good stewards of
the water. The City of Albemarle has two water plants. The most recent built plant is the
Tuckertown Plant on Highway 49. This plant has a capacity of 6 million gallons per day
and can be easily expanded as growth occurs. Our oldest plant built in 1948 is inside the
City limits and pumps raw water from the Yadkin basin about 8 or 10 miles away. This
plant has peak capacity of approximately 11 million gallons per day. During the prime
time of our textile operations, we had about 5 dye house operations of various sizes that
were using about 4 million gallons of water per day. During this period we were
pumping 9-10 million gallons per day. Those operations are now closed. The City of
Albemarle presently is pumping just under 7 million gallons per day. We sell water to
Oakboro, Pfeiffer North Stanly water line which includes New London, Richfield,
Misenheimer, and Pfeiffer College. All of the above are in Stanly County. We sell water
which goes extensively throughout the county to the county government and to the
citizens of Albemarle.
The impoundment of water created tremendous growth in our area and a great increase in
tax value up and down the Yadkin basin. Property values for lots in the 1950's were
approximately $800.00 Depending on the area along the takes, lots now range from
$285,000 and some extend to $1,000.000.This increase in tax value has been great for the
counties surrounding the Yadkin basin.
Alcoa has four dams and Progress Energy has one in our area. Without the investment in
these dams we would not have impounded water for our citizens, we would not have the
increased tax value. We would not have the wonderful recreational use of the Yadkin. It
is my understanding that the Yadkin basin has a 400 feet drop in elevation. This would
create a devastating situation during heavy rains as we would have a muddy river running
wild through Stanly County with no flood control without the dams. Alcoa has been
responsible in part for our well being. They have treated us fairly and continue to do so.
My present interest is being able to continue to receive enough water for our citizens in
Albemarle as well as citizens in the county, plus looking further down the road to care for
future growth in our area. Water for the future should be and is my only consideration.
Our free enterprise system is great, let it continue to be great.
i
E ert L. .Miley, Jr.
Mayor
City of Albemarle