Portland Aluminium has welcomed the release of the 2004/05 National Pollutant Inventory (NPI).

The NPI is a national database which reports emissions from a wide variety of sources such as industry, transport, power generation and bushfires.
 
Portland Aluminium has been reporting emissions to the community through the NPI since 1998-99.
 
The new data shows Alcoa, in all its locations throughout Australia is continuing to improve environmental management and comprehensive reporting of emissions to the community. 
 
Portland Aluminium Operations Manager, John Osborne said data reported to the NPI provided the community with accurate information on emissions and stated that the plant was continually looking for ways to improve their environmental performance.
                                                        
“Portland Aluminium is committed to providing the most accurate analysis possible of emission sources and we are always looking at ways to decrease our emission levels. It was a fantastic result for the plant to be able to report a 20% reduction in Fluoride Emissions. The reduction was a result of reducing process instability through improved process controls, such as fume system balancing and work practices”, he said.
 
In Victoria, Alcoa operates smelters at Portland and Point Henry (near Geelong), a rolling mill at Point Henry and a power station at Anglesea.
 
Portland Aluminium reports to the NPI on 16 substances and all substances were again within the Environment Protection Authority accredited licence limits.
 
Mr Osborne said Portland Aluminium regarded the NPI as a valuable mechanism for reinforcing industry accountability on environmental management and increasing community understanding of emissions and the variety of sources that produce emissions.
 
Alcoa also shares information with the community about environmental performance through Environment Improvement Plans which are developed in conjunction with community representatives. EIPs are produced bi-annually and community consultation is a key part of the process. Portland Aluminium is due to release their 2006/2007 EIP in quarter one this year.