April 13, 2005
Alcoa Canada Earth Day
Montreal, April 13, 2005 – Alcoa Canada Primary Metals is proud to be a major partner of Earth Day once again this year. To mark the 2005 edition of this event, the company is launching several activities within its different smelters and plants in Québec. These activities are mainly linked to the 2005 Earth Day theme, "Reinventing the Wheel".
In Baie-Comeau:
 
In partnership with the City of Baie-Comeau, the Alcoa smelter will offer its citizens free public transport on Earth Day, celebrated on April 22. In addition, public transport passes will be awarded to a number of users thanks to a draw. Lastly, the activity "Vélo-Boulot" will be promoted among the employees at the smelter to encourage them to come to work on their bicycles.
 
In Deschambault:
 
As to the Alcoa smelter in Deschambault, it will participate in the public transport project of the Municipalité régionale de comté de Portneuf thanks to $23,000 in financial support granted by the Alcoa Foundation. This project will be made accessible, both physically and financially, to persons in the region who have a low income and no means of transportation. Thus, this project is sure not only to have an important impact in the long term on the environment and the economy in the region, but also to contribute to bringing the citizens out of their isolation and closer to the services. In addition, the Alcoa Foundation has accepted to participate financially ($59,600) in the project of the Table de concertation en environnement de Portneuf, called Dans Portneuf… ma part je la fais! (In Portneuf, I do my part!). This project aims essentially at ensuring the attainment of the Canadian objective of the One Tonne Challenge program for the reduction of greenhouse gases.
 
In Bécancour:
 
With the cooperation of the MRC de Bécancour, the ABI smelter and the Bécancour rod plant will pay the cost of public transport for the users of the MRC throughout the week of the 18th to the 22nd of April. The goal is to sensitize the people to their environment while promoting the MRC of Bécancour’s new public transit service.
 
In addition to these numerous activities, Alcoa Canada Primary Metals has launched among its employees a contest affording the opportunity for them to share with each other the tricks they have already used–or plan to use–to save energy at work and at home. "Energy is a major issue for the Québec society, and as an important industrial consumer, we owe it to ourselves to optimize our use of this resource in order to further sustainable development," states Jean-Pierre Gilardeau, President of Alcoa Canada Primary Metals. "This responsibility is ours as citizens and each one of us must take on this responsibility, both at work and at home. Every action counts… I do my part!"
 
These are important and concrete initiatives to underline Earth Day and to ensure that Alcoa Canada Primary Metals plays an active role in Earth Day... throughout the whole year!
 
In Québec, Alcoa Canada Primary Metals includes the smelter and the aluminum rod plant in Bécancour, the Alcoa smelter in Deschambault, and the Alcoa smelter in Baie-Comeau. It produces over $1 billlion in economic spinoffs in the province every year. In Canada, Alcoa counts over 6,000 employees and owns, in addition to its aluminum smelters, 21 fabricating plants that produce over 1,3 million metric tonnes of aluminum ingots, castings, billet and rod per year.
 
The Alcoa Foundation offers grants that stem solely from the company’s income on assets, rather than from company benefits. This enables the Foundation, year in, year out, to help the communities where Alcoa has established its facilities. In 2004, the Foundation granted donations in countries around the world for a total amount of over $28.8 million.
 
Alcoa is the world's leading producer and manager of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina facilities, and is active in all major aspects of the industry. Alcoa serves the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation and industrial markets, bringing design, engineering, production and other capabilities of Alcoa's businesses to customers.
 
The company has 131,000 employees in 43 countries and has been a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index for 45 years and the Dow Jones Sustainability Index since 2001. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com.