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Alcoa investigation

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Alcoa’s mining operations in the Darling Ranges.

Cook rejects Greens push for ban on bauxite mining in WA forests

The ban could see 7000 jobs from Alcoa and South32’s operations impacted.

  • Hamish Hastie

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The emus only just visible in the foreground of this picture of Alcoa’s operations highlight the large area required for strip-mining – a process that removes all biological material from the site to access the flat rock layers beneath.

World-first test gives Alcoa two stars for Australian environmental performance

A ground-breaking international research team casts a fresh light on the US giant’s aims and activities in Western Australia, and exposes some sobering truths.

  • Emma Young
Alcoa bauxite mining operations in an area that was once jarrah forest in Western Australia.

Australia’s nature-positive laws at risk as WA drives ‘nature negative’

The West Australian government, and sections of our media, are presenting a false picture of what WA voters want to the rest of the country.

  • Jess Beckerling
Tailings at Pinjarra have accumulated since 1972.

Alcoa’s mountains of red mud fail to pass stability checks

Alcoa is storing enough caustic bauxite residue to fill Optus Stadium more than 350 times in areas south of Perth that have failed to be certified as stable.

  • Peter Milne
Bauxite extraction at the Huntly mine in Western Australia, owned by Alcoa and Alumina Limited.

WA’s environment regulator cuts efforts to protect nature around state to deal with Alcoa

The burden of enforcing special arrangements to allow Alcoa to keep mining bauxite has forced WA’s environment regulator to severely cut its efforts to protect nature throughout the rest of the state.

  • Peter Milne
Alcoa has cleared 28,000 hectares of the northern jarrah forest, which is under pressure in a drier, warmer climate and experiencing more bushfires.

On notice: WA watchdog sets Alcoa a deadline for mining approvals

The Environmental Protection Authority has warned Alcoa to provide the information it needs on time, or risk stricter conditions on its mining in WA forests.

  • Peter Milne
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The 280 square kilometres of jarrah forest cleared by Alcoa to date makes its WA operation one of the biggest mines in the world.

Worries of ‘irreversible’ damage to jarrah forest by Alcoa revealed

Water Corporation concluded that contamination of Perth’s dams is “certain” but the state government heavily watered-down its recommendations to reduce the risks from bauxite mining.

  • Peter Milne
Alcoa has mined WA’s jarrah forest for 61 years.

Alcoa boosts research amid concerns ‘extensive knowledge gaps’ threaten Perth’s water supply

Alcoa’s funding will support a forest research centre for five years and will also boost its own team of environmental researchers from four to eleven.

  • Peter Milne
Normally the ministers for water, state development and the environment approve Alcoa’s mining plan but for 2023 it was elevated to be a cabinet decsion.

WA government overrode water supply warnings to approve Alcoa mining

The WA environment regulator opposed Alcoa’s mining but proposed safeguards if it went ahead. The Cook government ignored the first recommendation and watered down the second.

  • Peter Milne
Alcoa blasting bauxite to prepare for mining near Serpentine Dam.

WA government to spend $10m monitoring Alcoa’s mining near Perth’s dams

Alcoa’s troubled bauxite mining in WA’s jarrah forest will have extra government scrutiny costing $10.5 million over four years as the US miner seeks to repair its tarnished environmental credentials.

  • Peter Milne

Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/topic/alcoa-investigation-6fut