The mine safety regulator of Western Australia is investigating the leakage of seven million litres of potentially toxic material gushed from a tank at Alcoa¡¯s alumina refinery this week.
On 9th March 2021, the incident took place at the American industrial giant¡¯s alumina refinery in Wagerup, 120 kilometres south of Perth.
As per our sources, the material leakage from a tank came to Alcoa¡¯s knowledge at late night. However, no employees were in the zone at the time and the clean-up of the site was commenced immediately.
On 12th March 2021, Alcoa engaged the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety and inspectors on-site to investigate.
Alcoa stated that the potentially alkaline mining process material had escaped through a hole in the bottom of a tank in a report to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.
A spokesperson for the department said: ¡°Alcoa reported that the material entered the second and third containment bunds before flowing to the unsealed ground in the processing area.¡±
Alcoa¡¯s report said: ¡°No material entered the surrounding environment and that it was not expected to enter waterways.¡±
¡°All recovered material would be returned for processing or disposed of at a residue storage area.¡± |
