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ALBEMARLE, N.C. -- About two dozen people spoke Thursday night at a public meeting regarding Alcoa's request for a water quality permit from the state. The company must receive the permit before it can be licensed to operate hydroelectric dams along the Yadkin-Pee Dee river chain.

For the past few years, Stanly County commissioners have questioned Alcoa's intentions to receive a 50-year federal license to operate the dams.

“You simply cannot truly advance the public interest in clean water unless you review all the matters that affect our lake,” Commissioner Lindsey Dunevant said.

In Thursday’s meeting, they addressed the quality of the water discharged in the hydropower process. According to Gene Ellis, of Alcoa, independent consultants have conducted numerous studies of the Yadkin River water quality during the past six years, and the state routinely collects water quality data in the Yadkin project reservoirs.

“Based on this volume of data, we believe the discharges from the Yadkin project dams will meet applicable water quality standards in North Carolina,” he said.

The Division of Water Quality is accepting comments on Alcoa's certification for the next 30 days. It has until March 16 to make a final ruling.