RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — An environmental group has told Alcoa Inc. it intends to sue the company to force cleanup of a health-harming contaminant from a North Carolina lake.
The Yadkin Riverkeeper said Tuesday it sent a notice letter required by federal law to the company.
The group says a study of mussels in Badin Lake and fish tested downstream show the presence of PCBs in the aquatic life. The group says chemical markers in the PCB molecules indicate they migrated from an aluminum plant Alcoa operated for 90 years.
Alcoa said it has submitted a plan for approval by state and federal regulators that proposes to cover a three-acre section of the lake bottom to keep PCBs contained in sediment from moving. The company says the sediments are no risk to humans.
