Proposed expansion to Alcoa’s bauxite mining in WA’s jarrah forrests could produce 1.3 billion tonnes of emisions

US aluminium giant Alcoa’s proposed expansions to its mining operations near Perth would release three years worth of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions over the projects’ lifetimes.

The Pennsylvania-based company has mined amongst the world’s only jarrah forests in Western Australia for bauxite — used to create aluminium — since the 1960s.

Alcoa has two proposals before the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to expand its mining operations in WA’s state forests and increase its alumina production.

The proposals are open for public comment and submissions.

An analysis of the publicly available proposals shows the projects could emit more than 1.3 billion tonnes of green house gas emissions over their lifetime, including clearing, mining, and refining until 2045.

This equates to about three times Australia’s annual green house gas emissions from all sources, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Greens WA MLC Jess Beckerling said, emissions-wise, it was equivalent to opening 17 to 18 coal-fired power stations.

“You cannot imagine a situation in which either the WA state government or the federal government would be considering opening another 17 to 18 new coal-fired power stations as we’re trying to reach net zero by 2050,” she said.

Alcoa’s climate change policy states it “acknowledges the scientific evidence of global warming” and “supported the need for an urgent global response”.

The company has committed to reducing its carbon intensity in manufacturing its products, and leading research and development programs to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

Alcoa has been contacted for comment.

Concerns escalate

Local towns in the fray of Alcoa’s proposed mining expansions have raised concerns and suggestions, including the Shire of Mundaring which has resolved to oppose bauxite exploration and mining.

In a statement, Shire President Paige McNeil said the decision reflected the community’s concerns for water security and environmental impacts.

“Our community told us that the health of our water catchment and the unique environment of the Perth Hills must be protected for future generations. Our community is not willing to accept exploration drilling that could lead to the mining of our unique jarrah forest,” she said.

“Council’s decision reflects our responsibility to safeguard our environment now and into the future and to advocate strongly on behalf of our residents.”

The shire has requested Alcoa to voluntarily excise the Mundaring Weir Catchment area from their exploration drilling program, and is opposed to any exploration and mining in the Northern Jarrah Forest.

Alcoa is exempt from most of the state’s environmental legislation and is instead governed under state agreement which allow it to mine about 7,000 square kilometres of forest.

Once the public consultation period is over for Alcoa’s proposals, the EPA will assess them and make a recommendation, and the proposals are ultimately approved or opposed by the Minister for State and Industry Development.

Alcoa’s director of regulatory approvals Kane Moyle said the company’s proposed exploration “does not indicate an intention to mine in that area”.

“Any proposal to mine would involve rigorous consultation, assessment and in fact approval before we could do so,” he told ABC Radio Perth.

Rehabilitation ‘substandard’

A review of Alcoa’s forest rehabilitation efforts, published in the scientific journal Restoration Ecology, indicated the company’s results were “substandard” and on a “poor to declining trajectory”.

Alcoa contested the claims and said it had started rehabilitating 75 per cent of the land it cleared. 

Alcoa has not completed rehabilitation in any of the 280 sq km of forest it has cleared in WA.

The Shire of Waroona has made a submission to the EPA suggesting a “bond” from Alcoa to ensure the forests were restored.

Shire President Mike Walmsley said Alcoa no longer mined in the shire but had fallen “behind” on their promise to rehabilitate the areas it had mined.

“One of our submissions was very similar to what we do with an extractive industries license is that we bond the works of rehabilitation,” he told ABC Radio South West.

“So if someone was to walk away from the sandpit or something in our shire that there’s still money available to make sure that sandpit or whatever is rehabilitated.”

Loading…Loading