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May 15, 2006
Alcoa Yennora launches Environment Improvement Plan
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Alcoa Australia Rolled Products at Yennora launched its first Environment Improvement Plan on Monday 8 May 2006.
The report was prepared with considerable community input and marks a major achievement of the community consultation process which has been in place at Alcoa Rolled Products at Yennora since April 2005.
Launching the Environment Improvement Plan, the NSW Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Ms Alison Megarrity MP said “Alcoa is publicly demonstrating a commitment to improving the environmental management at its Yennora plant.”
“The environmental targets that Alcoa has set for themselves go above and beyond regulatory requirements, and for that they should be commended,” she said.
“Alcoa is leading by example with its transparency and accountability and provides an excellent model for what it means to be a good corporate neighbour,” Ms Megarrity said.
The Environment Improvement Plan details the economic, social and environmental profile of the operation in NSW, outlining Alcoa’s past performance at Yennora, and current initiatives that will improve environmental health and safety performance and systems.
Also attending the launch were Kim Yeadon MP, Member for Granville and Clr Allan Ezzy, Mayor for Holroyd City Council.
Alcoa Australia Rolled Products at Yennora’s Environmental Management System recently achieved the coveted ISO 14001 certification, the International Organisation for Standardisation’s (ISO) standard for environmental management systems.
Plant Manager, John Costley said "Along with our Environmental Improvement Plan, the ISO certification is another indication of Alcoa Australia Rolled Products at Yennora's commitment to high standards, sustainable development and best practice in environmental management.
“Alcoa ARP at Yennora takes seriously its responsibilities as a neighbour in the Holroyd and Fairfield areas of Western Sydney. Our EIP provides the local community with even greater confidence that we are meeting our responsibilities for environmental protection of the local area,” Mr Costley said.
BACKGROUND
The Alcoa Australia Rolled Products site at Yennora is the largest aluminium recycling facility in Australia and recycles over 3 billion cans each year. Recycling aluminium plays a critical role in addressing the global greenhouse gas challenge – it takes five percent of the energy required to recycle aluminium as it does to produce it.
As a product, aluminium is also part of the solution for the greenhouse challenge. Alcoa researchers have forecasted that with global projections for the use of aluminium in cars and trucks and the numbers of vehicles in use, aluminium will increasingly become part of the global climate change solution with the industry reaching a climate neutral state by 2017. This means the global warming impacts of aluminium production will be fully offset by the amount of carbon dioxide emissions saved by the use of aluminium in the transportation industry. Today’s motor vehicles use aluminium in engine parts, panels, electronic systems and wheels. An average aluminium part is 40-50 per cent lighter than a steel part and every 10 per cent reduction in weight leads to a 6-8 percent improvement in fuel economy. Less fuel means less emissions and every kilogram of aluminium used in a car can reduce CO2 emissions by 20 kilograms over the life of the vehicle.
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For further information including copies of the Environment Improvement Plan, please contact:
Josephine Parrett - 02 9681 9554
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