Another Misleading Attack from the Yadkin Riverkeeper...

The Yadkin Riverkeeper is at it again.  He attacked Larry Jones of the High Rock Lake Association last week, accusing him of a having a conflict of interest that compromised his advocacy for High Rock Lake during the relicensing process.

Anyone who was involved in the relicensing negotiations knows just how absurd that claim is.  Larry Jones was, and continues to be, one of the strongest advocates that High Rock Lake has ever known.

The Yadkin Riverkeeper’s allegations stem from a property agreement that APGI made with Larry Jones in October 2009.  Larry received ownership of the driveway to his home and property in exchange for his agreement to relinquish all pasture, cultivation and water withdrawal rights. 

Marshall Olson, environmental and natural resources manager at APGI, said the agreement offers important environmental benefits for High Rock Lake because it will reduce the potential for fertilizer in the lake and reduce erosion along the shoreline.

The High Rock Lake Association released a statement this weekend condemning the Yadkin Riverkeeper’s attacks and reiterating its support for the Relicensing Settlement Agreement.

“No one has or is fighting harder for the users of High Rock Lake and the rest of the Yadkin Project than Larry Jones and the Association,” the statement says.  “When the license is issued by FERC, we will have a binding agreement to operate the Yadkin Project for the benefit of all stakeholders. Jones, under the direction of the Association, was a primary negotiator to get these desired changes.”

“There is nothing wrong with the actions of Larry Jones, either in his capacity as an officer of the HRLA or in the manner he has conducted his personal affairs.”

Marshall Olson shared a similar perspective:

“Alcoa’s dealings with Larry Jones and his property have been straightforward and unrelated to his role with the High Rock Lake Association.  This transaction took place more than 2½ years after the High Rock Lake Association signed the Relicensing Settlement Agreement in support of a new license for Alcoa, and with the full knowledge and support of the High Rock Lake Association’s Board of Directors,” Olson said.  “Routinely, Alcoa must address issues involving historical easements and property line issues, such as those with Larry Jones, and this transaction is no different from the others.” 

This latest attack from the Yadkin Riverkeeper has absolutely no merit.  It is simply another attempt to drum up support for a costly government takeover of the Yadkin Project.  

The Yadkin Riverkeeper gets it wrong... again

The Yadkin Riverkeeper said today that he has recently “discovered” internal Alcoa documents from 1997 that suggest Alcoa tried to hide information about possible contamination in Badin Lake.

The truth of the matter – Alcoa openly shared information about the presence of PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) in Badin Lake with state agencies, local government officials and the media in May 1997. It gave a presentation to health officials and government leaders on May 16, 1997 and a story about Alcoa’s testing was reported on the front page of the Stanly News & Press on May 18, 1997.

The voluntary testing, conducted in April 1997, indicated PAHs in the sediment 20-30 feet below the surface of Badin Lake. Luanne Williams, a toxicologist with the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, reviewed the test results and indicated that the PAH levels in the swimming cove at Badin Lake were “comparable to concentrations found in urban soil” and “should not pose a significant health risk.” The N.C. Division of Public Health indicated then it was safe to swim in Badin Lake and confirmed that in early 2009 when it said, “It is safe to boat, wade, swim and do other activities in the water. Skin contact with the water or sediment does not represent a health risk.”

During the past 12 years, Alcoa has continued to monitor the sediment in Badin Lake and a 2008 study showed these sediments remain isolated and are not spreading to other parts of the lake.

Alcoa was commended by Stanly County officials, including county manager John Whitehurst and health director Barry Bass, in the Stanly News & Press’s 1997 article for sharing the information with the public.

“I commend (Alcoa) for proactively handling this information and for the way they worked with the state to determine the significance of the information,” Bass said.

Now, Yadkin Riverkeeper Dean Naujoks is trying to say that Alcoa’s behavior “indicates a pattern of deceit regarding its environmental record…”

But the facts show just the opposite… again.