http://66.225.205.104/092209-20jr.mp3
The Perdue administration is pushing with an effort to stop aluminum company Alcoa from getting another federal license to control the Yadkin River. Gov. Perdue say Alcoa should not be given another 50-year license to control dams on the Yadkin River because the aluminum company's business interest could conflict with the state's need for drinking water next time there's a drought. That's just the latest argument from Perdue and state authorities who want the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission - or FERC - to deny Alcoa's request for a renewed license. Alcoa's dams once fueled a smelter that employed a thousand people, but has since closed. Alcoa now sells the power for a profit and says Governor Perdue is trying to take over its private business. Perdue wants Alcoa's license to be turned over to the state of North Carolina. Her administration submitted its request to the FERC yesterday, and asked the Commission to hold a hearing and take oral arguments on the divisive issue. The FERC has never denied a request for a license renewal.