Yadkin Hydroelectric Project

Alcoa Takes Misstatements on the Yadkin Project to Radio Airwaves

by Patty

If you cannot win your battles in print, why not put it into commercials? That appears to be the motivation behind Alcoa buying a heavy amount of ad space recently on radio stations in Stanly County. Alcoa has been fighting to have the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) grant the multinational firm a 50-year license for hydroelectric operations on the Yadkin River, one of the longest rivers in all of North Carolina.

But Alcoa’s relicensing of the Yadkin Project has faced opposition not only from Stanly County officials and citizens across the state, but also from “Gov. Mike Easley“http://www.governor.state.nc.us, who has asked the FERC to delay the relicensing for another year of review.

Facing that possible postponement, Alcoa now is attempting to win public sentiment in its favor with two minute-long radio commercials. Though we all know advertising is not always known for being 100 percent accurate, nevertheless we want to set the record straight upfront about their inaccuracies, because once again, Alcoa muddles the issues involved, employs faulty logic and ignores the central arguments against it receiving the relicensing.

One ad begins by describing how sometimes it is hard to see the facts clearly when debating a complex or emotional issue. This clearly reveals Alcoa’s patronizing attitude towards anyone not on their side – it is all too complex for you to understand, or you are just being emotional.

It then addresses the project’s impact on water supply. The central point Alcoa’s opponents have made involve water policy instead – the international conglomerate wants a power source it can use for huge profits with little benefit to North Carolina through exclusive use of the Yadkin River, a public resource. Maybe that is just too complex or emotional an issue for Alcoa to address.

The other ad mentions that “The new license will provide improved drought protection and higher water levels in reservoirs” without specifying how it will be done or even if the county could do the same thing without Alcoa being relicensed. It also cites an unnamed state official saying the project would be a step forward. Well, we have a named state official – Gov. Mike Easley – saying that he is not sure that would be the case. Since he is the leader of the state of North Carolina, I would say his opinion probably counts more than whoever Alcoa is paraphrasing.

The ads conclude by saying, “The Yadkin Project. Clean water and renewable energy. It just makes sense.” Sure it does – if those were the only issues involved in its relicensing. But they are not, and Alcoa knows it. You should too, so keep an open mind and be wary what Alcoa has to say in these and future statements concerning the Yadkin Project.

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