Alcoa’s business venture in the municipality of Juruti, in the extreme west of Pará State, is in the implementation phase of its three installations: the mining unit, a railroad and a port, work on which started in May, 2006. The Executive Department of Science, Technology and Environment of the State of Pará (Sectam), the body responsible for analyzing the investment, granted the Prior License (LP) and the Installation License (LI) in June and August, 2005, respectively. The Operating License, the third and final in environmental licensing process, will be obtained in accordance with timescale established by Sectam, after various stages of the undertaking have been complied with. 

In 2005 three public hearings were held to debate the installation of the project. The first took place on March 11 in Juruti, and brought together 6,000 people. The second was held on April 8 in Santarém, which 1,000 people attended. The third and final meeting was held on April 20 in the Para State capital, Belém, with some 700 people. In all these hearings the aim was to collect information that was fundamental for the state government when it came to analyzing and granting the licenses.

Before these hearings, however, the Company had held nearly 70 meetings with representatives from more than 100 communities from the Juruti municipality and with various sectors of civil society, with NGOs, academics and with legislative and executive branch authorities from Juruti, where the project is situated, Santarém and Belém. 

Alcoa’s objective was to provide information about the undertaking so that people could take an active part in the hearings. In the case of Juruti, nearly 4,300 community residents (almost 14% of the population) clarified their doubts and made their own suggestions about the project. 

In May, 2007, new public hearings were held at the suggestion of the Para State Public Attorney’s Office. Alcoa considered it to be quite natural for segments of society to discuss and debate the business venture it is setting up in Juruti. In the Company’s assessment dialogue with the community is considered important to clarify aspects of the undertaking and to deepen understanding about the efforts being made with regard to the sustainable development of the municipality and its communities. Therefore, various relationship activities with the community are being introduced to provide clarifying information about the progress being made with the activities involved in the Positive Agenda’s Environmental Control Plans (PCAs) and with the Juruti Mine works themselves.