News

The 50 Year Fight For the yadkin River (e.g. Bringing Dead Waters Back to Life)

Winston Salem, NC, April 22, 2013 – As we celebrate Earth Day 2013, River Network, a national support center for grassroots river conservation, celebrates its silver anniversary by highlighting twenty-five success stories and lessons learned from water advocates across the U.S. River Network; and applauds Yadkin Riverkeeper and citizens throughout the Yadkin River basin for opposing Alcoa’s bid for a 50-year license.

Yadkin Riverkeeper received a $25,000 grant from Wells Fargo-National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in order to hold seven public education forums.

The meetings, entitled “Think Outside The Sink,” will focus on increasing the amount of direct citizen input received by the North Carolina Division of Water Quality. The first in a series of seven forums will be held on World Water Day, Mar. 22, at Wake Forest University.

Yadkin Riverkeeper is now in the fifth year of legal challenges to prevent aluminum giant Alcoa from receiving a fifty-year license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to control four hydro-power dams located on the Yadkin River. Alcoa presently monopolizes and exploits the Yadkin River’s hydroelectric capacity for its bottom line, with little in return to the people of North Carolina.

Posted by Union County Weekly

The Monroe Bypass may still be in limbo, but the project remains a hot topic among local business leaders.