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August 25, 2009

Alcoa Reinforces Its Pittsburgh Roots of 120 Years in Advance of G-20 Summit

Company to Add Sign to its Green Building on North Shore, Fix Point State Park Fountain, and Clean Up 2-Mile Stretch of Allegheny River

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alcoa today announced initiatives to help Pittsburgh and the Company prepare for the G-20 Summit. The Company’s engineers are fixing the iconic fountain at Point State Park, Alcoa employee volunteers will clean up a 2-mile stretch of the Allegheny River and the Company is installing the Alcoa logo atop its environmentally-friendly building on the North Shore, These initiatives are intended to help make a positive first impression on the G-20 visitors as they enter the city and view the three rivers, the Point State Park fountain and the panoramic downtown skyline.

The fountain, which marks where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers meet to form the Ohio River, is a prominent sight as visitors enter the city through the Fort Pitt Tunnels. Due to electrical and pumping issues, the most visible main water column in the fountain’s center was turned off in preparation for extensive renovations in 2010. Working with Riverlife, Alcoa is helping to make the fountain fully operational for the Summit. The main water column is expected to again shoot into the Pittsburgh sky in mid-September, in advance of the Summit on September 24.

“When we learned that the fountain would not be fully operational for the Summit, we volunteered our engineering expertise to ensure this landmark would be standing tall for this historic event in our hometown,” said William O’Rourke, Alcoa Vice President of EHS and Sustainability, and the executive coordinating the Company’s G-20 efforts. “The eyes of the world will be on Pittsburgh in September, and Alcoa wants the city to look its very best when visitors from around the world come here.”

Engineers from the Alcoa Technical Center in Upper Burrell Township worked with Riverlife and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to find a short-term fix for the electrical problem until the renovations are completed next year. Alcoa is also covering the costs of the repair.

“We are thrilled that Alcoa has stepped forward to help ensure that the fountain will operate fully during the G-20 summit,” said Lisa Schroeder, Executive Director at Riverlife. “During this exciting time the world will be looking to Pittsburgh and taking note of its dynamic setting and riverfront amenities. We are grateful for Alcoa’s generosity and for the innovative approach to solving an engineering problem. Neither the restoration of the park nor the renovation of the fountain would be possible without this kind of corporate leadership, which is another proud tradition in Pittsburgh.”

Alcoa is also visibly demonstrating its pride in Pittsburgh by erecting a permanent sign with its logo on the Allegheny River side of its Corporate Center, identifying the environmentally-friendly building on the North Shore as Alcoa’s home in Pittsburgh. The Alcoa Corporate Center, which opened in 1998, was built using design elements that have now become the standard for green construction. Alcoa is in the process of securing LEED certification attesting to the environmentally-friendly status of the building.

“The sign with the Alcoa logo will reinforce to the G-20 attendees that Pittsburgh continues to be a great industrial base,” said O’Rourke. “And long after the Summit ends, this permanent sign will demonstrate Alcoa’s ongoing commitment to the city where Alcoa was founded 120 years ago.”

Finally, Alcoa employee volunteers will be cleaning up the 2-mile long trail on the North Shore side of the Allegheny River, from Washington’s Landing to Heinz Field, on September 11 and 18. This effort will launch Alcoa’s “Month of Service” in which more than 20,000 employees around the world are expected to donate their time and energies within their communities.

About Alcoa

Alcoa (NYSE:AA) is the world leader in the production and management of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina combined, through its active and growing participation 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. In addition to aluminum products and components including flat-rolled products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings, Alcoa also markets Alcoa® wheels, fastening systems, precision and investment castings, and building systems. The Company has been named one of the top most sustainable corporations in the world at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and has been a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for seven consecutive years. Alcoa employs approximately 63,000 people in 31 countries across the world. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com

About Riverlife

Riverlife (formerly Riverlife Task Force) is a public-private partnership established in 1999 to guide and advocate for the redevelopment of Pittsburgh’s riverfronts. Riverlife works to reconnect Pittsburgh with its rivers by bringing recreation, ecological restoration and economic opportunity back to our waterfronts.

Today, Riverlife’s stewardship extends up the Allegheny River to the 31st Street Bridge, down the Monongahela River to the Hot Metal Bridge, and along the Ohio River to the West End Bridge. Through a variety of public-private partnerships integrating the efforts of state, city, and private developers, Riverlife points proudly to a host of projects already in place, with several currently underway and more planned for the future. This seamless sequence of open spaces for civic engagement will ultimately knit our neighborhoods together and reconnect us with our living environment. For more information, please visit www.riverlifepgh.org .