It is interesting to see how quickly Rio Tinto Alcan says it will sack its 3,500 workers at the slightest hint that its energy cost will increase. There’s job security for you! Recently the corporation announced that it was already “temporarily” cutting production at the smelter by 5% to threaten the New Zealand government to exempt themselves from its new emissions trading scheme. [02/05/08] Tiwai Point is owned by New Zealand Aluminium Smelters Limited who are mostly owned (79.36%) by Rio Tinto Alcan New Zealand Limited (formerly Comalco New Zealand Limited). Rio Tinto Alcan own the Straumsvik smelter in Hafnarfjordur, near Reykjavik, which they are still lobbying to enlarge despite a local referendum decision which vetoed their plans.
Source: Emissions bill ‘puts smelter at risk’, By MARTIN KAY – The Dominion Post
rio tito alcan is doing the same here in kitimat bc. someones being paid well.
not much can be done as they paid our goverment off i`m sure ,but can`t prove it as there all lawyers,like a mafia of crooked lawers.its ashame ,they should be investagated.our sawmills are almost shut down in bc,80 %.FUNNING THING IS ,THEY STILL logging the forests here and send it to the good old U.S.A Alcan has contol here in bc. Protfits from our water,for power,logging on the land they got from our goverment, they profited from the sales of one of the biggest sand/gravel mountains in b.c,right in kitimat b.c. Now they been poluting here for years,since it open,all most 60 years ago. They poluted much of alcans own site,by burying much,much bad garbage,toxic`s,of all kinds,leaching out some where.can`t eat the crabs here as i`m scaredof cancer as many, many have died here.still the air born particals are there from the existing plant and they do there own polution monitering.now that `s control . . to bad rin-tinto didn`t have knowlege of this as they many not have bought alcan montrel.all paid handsomly to move them here too. not much too be done,just watching the low income people ,scratching by week to week and the $$$$$$$$$$they earn,but our people still dieing,as those that never worked for alcan.the wind here blows into that air stream right across Canada.now you tell me ,whats our goverment Done. How many,peoples pockets lined over the years
Hi R J, good to hear back from you!
Former Alcan CEO Blames Regulatory Approval For Hold Up On New Smelter
By 250 News
Monday, October 29, 2007 03:59 AM
Prince George, B.C. – Dick Evans, the former CEO of Alcan (which has now been taken over by Rio Tinto in an acquisition of its shares) says there is a reason why Kitimat hasn’t seen any construction of a new smelter “Regulatory delays and local opposition are to blame for the company not going ahead with the construction of a new smelter in that community .”
[..]
The new plant would employ fewer workers and the District of Kitimat has been locked in a battle with the company saying the new smelter should be built to use the bulk of the power produced by the diversion of the Nechako river rather than entering into an agreement with BC hydro which the District says will result in Alcan (Rio Tinto) being paid in excess of $1 billion dollars for power the community says was supposed to be produced solely for the use “in the vicinity”.
At a recent get together of Rio Tinto to introduce the company heads to the people of Canada, Tom Albanese, the CEO of Rio Tinto headquartered in the UK said if Canada opts to place strict emission controls, the company could consider moving. operations off shore.
They are clearly doing the same around the world. At the same time they are heavily trying to invest in Africa.
In July though Alu-Web.de reported that they want to expand the Kitimat smelter from 400.000 t up with another 150-190.000 t.
Terrible to hear about the pollution.
all they want is power,they are a mining company.Can`t see no other reason. free power ,approxamantly 1300 mega-watts.they up graded the turbines to produce more power,with same volum of water flow,Green energy.profit all for there investers who are robbing are provice blind,with , are goverments hand out.every day a haze is over our town, blue in color,but no one cares. only the high salaries for 1200 workers,staff.i wouldn`t complain either if i was making 75 to 150 grand a year.would you care. how many people have to die of all these toxic`s they release into the atmosphere,daily,for the last 60 yr`s. I agree it has improved but polution is polution.just puting more money to are goverment pockets .Mr. Campbels shares grew from 38 $ a share to a ropping 360 $ a ashare.conflick of interest i call it but now the people here pay a carbin tax,while the largest corperations,in the world pay dick.all free thanks to are goverment.just so they would say here in B.C. they got what ever ,for nothing,but alot of people have died of cancer related to the polution. Who`s to Blame,us the people are the ones, as we have no one to help us .Pretty hard to change things, when most of these companys don`t pay the carbin tax. How Many more have to die before it`s to late.we know that globo warming is continuing,but nothing to stop these large corporation.how much polution has this company released in every country,and pay nothing,so wrong
a freind just told me that rio-tino had to bring down it`s polution #`S.they had it as high as 11kilo`s per ton,wow no wonder people dieing.subpose to be at 1.9 only. see what they get away with. I heard the natives across the bay reported it.watch ,they`ll get a pay off ,alittle ush money,for the squeeky wheel watch.this plant is way out dated.you watch ,a smaller plant,if any and all the power from Kemano B.C. .Made a sweet deal from the B.C. goverment.my Question is how many ton`s per hr ? Times that by 24 x365 day`s x`s 60 years. not a penny to the loss of life`s, to those who never worked there,these toxic`s are killing us ,but your just a Number in the statistics of deaths related to Cancer. boy ,i`d better be quite.Heard about the aficains getting knocked off.they got the $$$$$$$$$$$$$ rio-tinto`s bulling it ways into forgein courty`s robbing all there resoures for deals on Wheel`s can`t write any more as i live here,i think i said too much.