Alcoa rep throws jobs on table

Additionally, more than 1,500 jobs would be created during the construction period of the plant and approximately 800 permanent jobs would be generated during the full time operations of the industrial estate.

Alcoa will also invest in the education and training of TT nationals to become skilled employees in the aluminum smelter industry and as a means of positively connecting with the Southwestern community.

These were some of the promises made by Alcoa Primary Metals Development president Randall Overbey at a media briefing organised by Alcoa to present the corporation’s plan for the proposed smelter for the Chatham/Cap-De-Ville area.

The media briefing was held at Joseph’s Restaurant at Rookery Nook, Maraval. Also attending the briefing was Alcoa director of public strategy Wade Hughes and Dr Oyebode Taiwo, a specialist in the area of public health, from Yale University, USA, According to Overbey, “Alcoa has indeed signed an agreement in principle with Government to build an aluminum smelter and related facilities that will have about 341,000 metric tonnes per year production capacity.”

“And we will go through a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) statement that will be open and public.” He noted that no land has been cleared for the proposed building of the aluminum industrial facility. “We check that on a regular basis and I can assure you that no land has been cleared and we expect a total investment of around US$1.5 billion for this entire facility,” he added. Overbey said Alcoa expects hundreds of permanent jobs to last at least 30 years and would have a substantial impact on the region.

“We’ll work hard to maximise employment opportunities for local people,” he stated, “and we’ll work with local business people who might have an interest in developing some sort of business based on what we have here.” He continued, “We think once we break ground, it’s about two years to build the plant.”

Overbey assured the audience that Alcoa will not landfill spent potliners (hazardous materials that can be recycled to become non-hazardous) in Trinidad and Tobago.

“Aluminum is a very important product in commercial in the world and is used in the aviation and aerospace industries, packaging, building and construction” he revealed, “and is sustainable material, lightweight and can be fully recycled.”

Overbey said Alcoa has been embracing and exceeding in complying with the country’s Occupational, Safety and Health workplace regulations for at least a couple of decades.