Rio Tinto Alcan announced the draft Commonwealth Environmental Impact Statement for the South of Embley Project.
Mr Pat Fiore Rio president & CEO of Tinto Alcan, Bauxite and Alumina said that 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 that 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. 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 Coordinator General approved the Project in May this year.
Mr Fiore said that the USD 1 billion plus Project will underpin the continued operation of Rio Tinto Alcan's refinery operations in Gladstone, supporting the USD 2.5 billion expansion of Yarwun as well as grow bauxite export capability.
He said that the South of Embley Project will further strengthen the economic, cultural and social ties between Gladstone and Western Cape York Peninsula. The current Weipa operations employ more than 275 Indigenous employees, representing more than 25% 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.
