Charlotte Business Journal
Thursday May 28, 2009
Alcoa relicensing blocked
A state judge has blocked Alcoa Inc.’s efforts to renew its license to operate hydroelectric facilities on the Yadkin River. Administrative Law Judge Joe Webster granted Stanly County and the Yadkin Riverkeeper a temporary restraining order barring the N.C. Division of Water Quality from issuing a water-quality certification.
The certification is necessary for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to relicense Alcoa to continue to operate dams on the river. The N.C. Division of Water Quality moved to issue the certification earlier this month.
Alcoa is seeking a 50-year license to operate the dams and lakes on the river. The facilities were built to supply electricity for a smelting operation that has since been shuttered. Local and state officials want the company to surrender control of the facilities.
Webster found that the state agency likely hasn’t considered all environmental issues before granting the certification.
“We felt that there was significant contamination issues and oxygen content issues,” says Yadkin Riverkeeper Dean Naujoks.
The temporary restraining order is the second big win for Stanly County. N.C. Gov. Bev Perdue has asked to intervene in the state certification and the FERC relicensing process.
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