A message from Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer Kevin Anton
As you may have seen in the news, there was recently a breach of a bauxite residue storage facility in Hungary that tragically claimed several lives and caused property and environmental damage. While the facility is not related to Alcoa in any way, the Hungarian government has accepted our offer for assistance and we will be helping through our industry associations.
Because of the nature of this tragedy, I am writing to explain the policies and procedures Alcoa follows at our own bauxite residue storage facilities in several locations around the world and to reassure you about the sustainable nature of aluminum.
- Cleaner residue; Differentiation in storage. Bauxite residue, a by-product of alumina production, is safely stored in special facilities that must meet Alcoa’s internal standards, in addition to local, regional and federal standards. We use a variety of technologies at our residue storage facilities, including a washing process that creates an overall cleaner residue and an extensive dust suppression system. Management of these facilities is primarily based on the “dry stacking” or “sloped deposition” technologies.
- Ongoing internal and third-party monitoring. All Alcoa facilities are monitored carefully to ensure that the integrity of the facilities is maintained and kept in compliance with regulations. In fact, as part of Alcoa’s management process, we conducted a review of our facilities this past summer. Additionally, we have an annual geo-technical inspection of our storage areas by an independent third party professional to ensure the operation is being maintained and operated to high standards. While we are confident in the safety of our facilities, we will review the findings from the incident in Hungary to determine if there are lessons to be learned.
- Pursuing goals to reduce bauxite residue. While the methods Alcoa employs ensure safe disposal of bauxite residue, we are not content to “leave well enough alone.” Earlier this year, we announced new goals for significant reduction in bauxite residue. From a 2005 baseline, our goal is a 20% reduction in bauxite residue land requirements per million metric tons of alumina produced by 2020; and 40% by 2030.
- Testing potential beneficial uses of bauxite residue. In addition, at our industry-leading technology centers near Pittsburgh and in Western Australia, we are testing a number of science-based technologies that use bauxite residue in beneficial ways.
- EHS is a stated value that we live every day. Environment, Health and Safety is not simply an admirable concept at Alcoa. Our EHS performance is tied directly to our management’s incentive compensation. Our work also involves rehabilitating bauxite storage areas for reuse. In Brazil, a former disposal area is now a 64-acre rehabilitated area that supports native trees and vegetation and reemerging animal life.
Aluminum is infinitely recyclable and sustainable. The incident in Hungary should not overshadow the tremendous sustainability attributes of aluminum. Light, strong and corrosion-resistant, the life-cycle benefits of this metal provide a potentially limitless payback. And aluminum can be recycled infinitely using only 5% of the energy it took to make it originally. That is why Alcoa believes that aluminum is a key ingredient to a sustainable future, and why Alcoa is dedicated to the production and recycling of aluminum in the most responsible manner possible.
I appreciate your taking the time to allow me to share Alcoa’s story with you.
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