By Edgar Miller, Riverkeeper
Yadkin Riverkeeper Edgar Miller joined students and faculty advisors from the Duke Environmental Law and Policy Clinic (DELPC), for a second round of monitoring stormwater outfalls draining the site of the former Alcoa aluminum smelting plant in Badin, NC on June 12. The sampling project is being funded by a $150,000 grant from the Duke Endowment to the DELPC to address long-standing environmental justice issues faced by Concerned Citizens of West Badin (CCWB), an historically segregated African American community disproportionately impacted by Alcoa’s operation and hazardous waste disposal sites.
YRK is working in partnership with the DELPC, the CCWB and the NC Environmental Justice Network to amplify the community’s concerns and to address YRK’s concerns about the ongoing leaching of contaminated stormwater into Badin Lake/Yadkin River and Little Mountain Creek, which drains into Lake Tillery, and provides drinking water to both Montgomery and Union counties. YRK has been working with the clinic and the Southern Environmental Law Center for nearly 15 years to tighten up Alcoa’s stormwater discharge permit to limit the amount of cyanide, fluoride, aluminum and other contaminants of concern entering the groundwater and surface water. In addition, YRK and its partners are advocating for a final hazardous waste corrective action permit that will require Alcoa to excavate the most dangerous of the unlined hazardous waste disposal sites around the plant removing the source of the contamination.
These concerns have recently been heightened due to the somewhat unexpected demolition of the former Alcoa Aluminum smelter buildings on the site. YRK and CCWB have been sharing concerns with the NC Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) about the potential release of toxic materials into the air and water during the demolition process, making our monitoring at the stormwater outfalls even more timely.
At a briefing by DEQ officials earlier this week, YRK and other stakeholders were told that the state is planning on issuing a new, and we hope improved, stormwater permit in early July with a public hearing slated for August 19 in Albemarle. It is important that YRK members and others show up in force at the public hearing to ensure the state issues the most stringent permit possible to reduce the amount of contaminated stormwater being released into Badin Lake, the Yadkin River and Little Mountain Creek.
Six of eight smelter buildings at Alcoa’s shuttered aluminum plant have been torn down leading to concerns about the release of toxic dust clouds and contaminated dust suppression water and stormwater runoff.
Dust cloud being released from Alcoa demolition activities. YRK has asked NCDEQ to monitor air and water releases.
Concerned Citizens of West Badin co-chair Richard Leak and Protect Badin Lake co-president, Colleen McDaniel, both of whom serve on YRK’s Board, discuss the water/soil sampling plan with Duke Environmental Law and Policy Clinic co-director Ryke Longest (center) and Clinic students Mark Lamendola and Chloe Wetzler.
The group with Dr. Nancy Lauer, staff scientist and lecturing fellow with the DELPC, before heading out to sample outfalls on Badin Lake and water and soil in Little Mountain Creek.
Dr. Lauer sharing sample bottles with Yadkin Riverkeeper Edgar Miller.
Heading out to sample stormwater outfalls on Badin Lake.
Coming ashore to sample Outfall 13.
Outfall 13, which drains contaminated stormwater into Badin Lake less that 100 feet from the public swimming area.
Labeling sample bottles.
Bringing the samples in for analysis.
YRK and the DELPC will continue to work with the Concerned Citizens of West Badin and the NC Environmental Justice Network to hold Alcoa and the NC DEQ accountable for cleaning up the site and reducing the amount of toxic materials being released into the air and water, including the elimination of outfalls that discharge contaminated stormwater into public access and swimming areas.
Yadkin Riverkeeper Edgar Miller on Badin Lake.