ALCOA lauds relicensing agreement
STAFF REPORTS
THE DAILY TIMES
JANUARY 20, 2005
ALCOA officials said they welcomed the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's decision Wednesday to relicense four of the aluminum company's hydroelectric dams in Tennessee and North Carolina. The agreement also preserves more than 10,000 acres of undeveloped land in and around Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
``This decision demonstrates the benefits of communities, governments, environmental organizations and businesses working together,'' said Kevin Anton, president of ALCOA Materials Management in a press release. ``Thousands of good-paying jobs have been protected and pristine mountain land will be preserved.''
ALCOA employs approximately 2,000 people in the region and has an annual economic impact of $400 million on the local economy.
The FERC decision is the result of about seven years of discussions between key stakeholders. ALCOA requested a 40-year license for its four hydroelectric facilities -- Chilhowee and Calderwood Dams in Blount County and Cheoah and Santeetlah Dams in North Carolina -- that provide 326 megawatts of power to its operations in Blount County. The company's hydroelectric license, held by Tapoco, was set to expire next month.
Land swap agreement
Fundamental to Wednesday's decision was legislation signed by President Bush in October that allowed for the relicensing of ALCOA's Tapoco Project as well as a land exchange and conservation agreement between ALCOA Power Generating Inc. and the National Park Service.
``This decision would not have been possible without the support of the community and government officials such as Sen. Lamar Alexander and U.S. Rep. John J. Duncan Jr.,'' said Marc Pereira, vice president of Energy and Procurement. ``On behalf of ALCOA, we thank everybody who supported this project. ALCOA's presence in the region dates back to the early 1900s, and we look forward to continuing the positive relationships that have been built through the years.''
Alexander also hailed the relicensing. In a statement from Washington released by the senator Wednesday, he said: ``To those who never think government does anything right, it is hard to imagine a recent government action with more good in it than the ALCOA land swap,'' he said. ``It saves thousands of manufacturing jobs, promotes clean air and clean energy, and conserves for public use 10,000 acres of the most important park land in the Eastern United States -- all in one fell swoop.''
Nature Conservancy
The land swap legislation introduced by Alexander in the Senate and Duncan in the House of Representatives during the 108th Congress, cleared the way for the relicensing by transferring 100 acres of flooded areas of land within Great Smoky Mountain National Park in exchange for 186 acres of biologically sensitive land that ALCOA Inc. currently owns, which was originally intended to be part of the park, according to Alexander's office.
ALCOA has granted a permanent easement on 6,000 acres of land located in Blount County and Swain County, N.C., to the Tennessee Nature Conservancy. ALCOA is also granting a temporary easement on 4,000 more acres to the Tennessee Nature Conservancy for outdoor recreation activities such as hiking and fishing. This will be a 40-year easement. Then the land will return to ALCOA.
A number of conservation and environmental groups were involved in negotiating the terms of the relicensing agreement, including the Knoxville-based Tennessee Clean Water Network.
