Alcoa introduces Yadkin OspreyCam

With the open water and large tracts of undeveloped shoreline, the Yadkin Project has long served as a perfect setting for wildlife such as bald eagles, ospreys, great blue herons and great egrets. You can now get an up-close look at that wildlife with a new webcam today that provides a live feed of three osprey chicks living atop the Narrows Dam.

The Yadkin OspreyCam can be seen at www.alcoa.com/ospreycam.  

Our employees have been watching ospreys build nests and raise families on top of the dam for several years. This year, we decided to capture and share this natural wonder with a live camera. 

The osprey nest, built atop a custom-made platform erected by Alcoa employees to provide additional support, features three young chicks hatched about one month ago. The parents, nicknamed Oliveea and Oscar by employees, feed the chicks fish from the Yadkin River and protect them from potential predators. 

The chicks will remain in the nest for about one month while their feathers grow in and they learn to fly. 

You may also be interested in viewing Alcoa’s popular EagleCam that provides a live look at three bald eagle chicks in Davenport, Iowa. The site has received more than 10 million visitors this year.

Click here to view the OspreyCam. 

Alcoa promotes water safety with $25,000 grant to Stanly County YMCA

Alcoa launched its annual water safety campaign this month by announcing a $25,000 grant from the Alcoa Foundation that will support learn to swim programs at the YMCA. 

The grant is one of several ways that Alcoa is working with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission and local law enforcement agencies to promote water safety this summer. The company is giving away hundreds of free life jackets to children, providing financial support to local sheriff departments for increased patrols of the lakes, and spreading its message of “Playing it Safe on the Lakes,” through billboards, ads and promotional items. 

“It’s so important that we remind people to be vigilant about water safety,” said Nicole Wright, Alcoa Foundation Coordinator. “We can prevent so many tragedies by helping our children learn to swim.  We are honored to support the YMCA’s learn to swim programs and hope parents take advantage of classes that are available.”

The $25,000 grant to the Stanly County Family YMCA will help promote water safety and swimming skills through the 2nd Grade Learn to Swim Program at the Y.

The program, started at East Albemarle Elementary School in 2005, has grown to serve nine elementary schools across Stanly County. Plans call for the program to expand to all elementary schools in the county.

“Both Alcoa and the Y have long histories in promoting water safety,“ said John Lowder, Executive Director of Stanly County Family YMCA.  “This partnership is a perfect match to allow both organizations to work together to make Stanly County a safer place to live and play.” 

Click here to read more about the grant in the Stanly News & Press and Salisbury Post.

See television coverage of Alcoa's water safety campaign from News 14 and WXII.

Alcoa providing free life jackets for children at Badin Lake and High Rock Lake

Alcoa is kicking off the summer recreation season this weekend with a series of community events to promote water safety. The company is joining forces with local law enforcement officials to educate swimmers and boaters about water safety on Saturday, May 19 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Alcoa will give away 100 free life jackets to children at the Badin Swim Area on Badin Lake and the Buddle Creek Swim Area on High Rock Lake. Children and their parents can enjoy free snow cones and pick up a free safety whistles as they talk with local law enforcement officials and look at boats used to patrol the lakes and rescue those in need.   

“There are so many families in our community who enjoy swimming, boating and fishing on these lakes. While they are having fun, we want to remind them about the best way to stay safe on the lakes,” said Mark Gross, vice president of hydro operations for Alcoa Power Generating Inc. “We’re excited about putting 200 life jackets in the hands of local children this weekend. Wearing a life jacket is the absolute best way to stay safe on the lakes.” 

Representatives from NC Wildlife Resources Commission, the US Coast Guard Auxiliary and local law enforcement officials are participating in the events.

“Play It Safe” Campaign Sends Simple Reminder
Throughout the summer, Alcoa will use billboards, newspaper and radio ads, signage around the lake and other avenues to promote the “Play it Safe” message to boaters and swimmers.  This is the eighth year Alcoa Power Generating Inc. has sponsored the “Play it Safe on the Lakes” campaign.

In addition, Alcoa provides $90,000 a year to sheriff departments in Davidson, Montgomery, Rowan and Stanly County for increased patrols of the lakes. 

Public records provide inside look at opposition to Yadkin Project relicensing

Alcoa Power Generating Inc. has launched a website, TheYadkinFacts.com, that makes public records related to the relicensing of the Yadkin Hydroelectric Project available online. Click here to view the website. 

“We believe transparency in government is important,” said Kevin Anton, Alcoa’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “The records included on this site will help make clear the activities of those pushing for a government takeover of Alcoa’s private property and dams, activities that to date have largely been kept from public view.”   

Documents contained on the site are organized around three categories — the $5+ million in taxpayer money spent by the Stanly County Commissioners to oppose Alcoa’s license; the missed opportunity to create 450 new jobs with Alcoa’s recruitment of Clean Tech Silicon & Bar; and the tactics employed by Alcoa’s opponents. 

Some of the documents on the website show that:

• Stanly County has spent more than $5 million since 2006. More than $3 million has been paid to Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein, a Charlotte law firm that has billed the county as much as $495 an hour. 
• The written agreements proposed by Alcoa and Clean Tech in December 2011 included a commitment to provide 750 jobs with an annual payroll of at least $30 million for the next 30 years. 
• The NC Water Rights Committee was a created by Stanly County. A public opinion poll and other information released under the name of the NC Water Rights Committee was actually paid for by Stanly County taxpayers. 
• A Stanly County lobbyist drafted legislation calling for a Yadkin Project Study in 2008. Alcoa’s opponents were encouraged to tell legislators “the simple bill you will be voting on just creates a study commission…," but the lobbyist had a different message for Stanly County Commissioners: “Remember that I drafted the bill and left plenty of holes wide enough to sail the recapture ship through the dams."  

This site will make available thousands of public records Alcoa received from the Stanly County Board of Commissioners, the NC Department of Commerce, and the Office of the Governor in response to public requests requests that began in 2008.  An initial set of documents is now available, and a searchable database of all public records provided to Alcoa is under development. New documents will be added frequently.

For more information, visit the website at www.theyadkinfacts.com.