Environmental Issues
Managing Environmental Waste Sites in Stanly County
The Badin Works smelter began operations in 1917, before anyone fully understood the potential impact of waste material and before there were any environmental guidelines or state or federal regulations in place. Alcoa is currently working with state and federal officials to manage waste sites associated with the Badin Works smelter in an appropriate manner.
Alcoa began working with state and federal officials more than 20 years ago to identify and investigate waste sites on its property in Stanly County and to take appropriate action to remediate sites that might pose a health or environmental danger. This work is being done under the close supervision of the N.C. Department of Environmental and Natural Resources in accordance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), a federal program adopted by the State of North Carolina to regulate the management of waste.
Alcoa has permanent legal responsibility to manage waste sites
Alcoa shares Stanly County’s desire to protect the health of Stanly County residents and to protect the environment by following all state and federal regulations related to waste associated with the Badin Works smelter.
Under federal law, Alcoa has a permanent legal responsibility for managing all waste associated with the Badin Works site. Stanly County and the State of North Carolina have not and will not be asked to bear the cost of cleanup efforts for these sites.
Identifying and Investigating Waste Sites: Through the RCRA process, Alcoa identified and investigated 47 potential waste sites associated with the Badin Works smelter in Stanly County. This study identified six sites that required remediation. Alcoa has spent more than $8 million to provide appropriate environmental protection at these sites, and the State of North Carolina has determined that no further action is necessary at this time.
The Next Step: A Corrective Measures Study: As part of the RCRA process, Alcoa recently developed a plan for the required Corrective Measures Study. This plan, submitted to the N.C. Division of Hazardous Waste in April 2008, determines what additional remediation measures or ongoing monitoring is needed to protect the public and the environment.
The study plan is currently being reviewed by State officials. Once the plan has been finalized and approved by the State, Alcoa will begin implementing the required actions.
Do other waste sites exist?
Beginning in 2006, Stanly County officials started raising concerns about additional waste sites that may have been overlooked or ignored by Alcoa. In each instance, Alcoa has worked closely with State or County officials to investigate these claims and search for any evidence of waste. Read more.
How much will it cost to manage waste sites in Stanly County?
Alcoa is occasionally asked how much it will spend to properly manage the waste sites in Stanly County. The truth is, no one knows what it will cost. It’s uncertain what actions will be required of Alcoa by state and federal officials who supervise the waste management process.
Alcoa has a permanent legal responsibility for managing all waste associated with the Badin Works plant and is committed to following all state and federal laws to remediate the waste sites. The county has not and will not be asked to bear the cost of remediation.
Alcoa has already spent more than $8 million to remediate waste sites in Stanly County and additional efforts are ongoing. Upon approval of the Corrective Measures Study by the N.C. Division of Hazardous Waste, Alcoa will begin another phase of remediation and monitoring designed for long-term protection of human health and the environment.
