Rio Tinto Alcan – Commonwealth EIS for South of Embley Project released

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M2 Communications

ENP Newswire – 23 November 2012

Release date- 21112012 – Rio Tinto Alcan today released the draft Commonwealth Environmental Impact Statement for the South of Embley Project.

Rio Tinto Alcan president and chief executive officer, Bauxite and Alumina, Pat Fiore said the project will extend bauxite mining operations on an area of the company’s existing Weipa mining lease, thereby continuing to generate employment and economic benefits on the Western Cape for another 40 years.

‘The EIS comprehensively describes the potential social, economic and environmental impacts associated with the project and outlines how we can sustainably develop our existing bauxite resources while safeguarding the Cape and the Great Barrier Reef,’ Mr Fiore said.

Mr Fiore said Rio Tinto Alcan has responded to a direction of the Commonwealth Environment Minister to assess shipping through the Great Barrier Reef as part of the Project’s EIS.

‘The Project does not substantially change the number of ships traversing the Reef and the EIS shows that potential impacts on the environment can be managed,’ Mr Fiore said. ‘We have been mining bauxite on the Cape – and shipping it safely through dedicated shipping lanes to Gladstone – for almost half a century.

‘The strict measures that are used for existing Weipa bauxite shipping activities, such as piloting for ships, would continue to be used for Project-related shipping.’ The Queensland Co-ordinator-General approved the Project in May this year.

Mr Fiore said the $1 billion-plus Project will underpin the continued operation of Rio Tinto Alcan’s refinery operations in Gladstone, supporting the $2.5 billion expansion of Yarwun, as well as grow bauxite export capability.

‘The South of Embley Project will further strengthen the economic, cultural and social ties between Gladstone and Western Cape York Peninsula,’ he said. The current Weipa operations employ more than 275 Indigenous employees, representing more than 25 per cent of the workforce. ‘We are working closely with Traditional Owners to ensure the prosperity resulting from mining activities on the Western Cape continues to be shared,’ Mr Fiore said.

Members of the community are invited to review and comment on the EIS from Thursday 22 November to Wednesday 19 December 2012. The EIS will be on display in Weipa, Napranum, Aurukun, Mapoon, Bamaga, Cooktown, Cairns, Gladstone, Brisbane and Canberra and will also be made available on the Rio Tinto Alcan website.

Rio Tinto Alcan will also hold a series of information sessions on the Western Cape to present details about the project and the EIS findings.

Community members can contact the project team via the freecall number 1800 308 938 or email external.affairs@riotinto.com with any specific questions or concerns.

An average of 950 workers will be required for construction. During operations, South of Embley workforce numbers would range from 550 to 1350 depending on production.

About Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group headquartered in the UK, combining Rio Tinto plc, a London and New York Stock Exchange listed company, and Rio Tinto Limited, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Rio Tinto’s business is finding, mining, and processing mineral resources. Major products are aluminium, copper, diamonds, thermal and metallurgical coal, uranium, gold, industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide and salt and iron ore. Activities span the world and are strongly represented in Australia and North America with significant businesses in Asia, Europe, Africa and South America.

About Rio Tinto Alcan Weipa

The Rio Tinto Alcan Weipa operations employ about 1000 full time employees, and in 2011 produced 20.7 million dry product tonnes of bauxite.There are more than 275 Indigenous employees at the operation, more than 25 per cent of the workforce.

Rio Tinto Alcan Weipa mining leases are on Aboriginal land and neighbour the communities of Aurukun, Mapoon, Napranum and Weipa. Rio Tinto Alcan Weipa supports Native Title rights and undertakes its mining operations in consultation with the Traditional Owners of the region, ensuring that obligations established in land use agreements can be met.

Contact:

Ian McGoldrick

Tel: +61 (0 7 3625 4445

Mobile: +61 (0 407 211 900

Bruce Tobin

Tel: +61 (0 3 9283 3612

Mobile: +61 (0 419 103 454

Website: www.riotintoalcan.com

[Editorial queries for this story should be sent to newswire@enpublishing.co.uk]

((Comments on this story may be sent to info@enpublishing.co.uk

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