Alcoa: Full steam ahead for smelter

Detailed engineering, scoping and estimating works are proceeding apace, Alcoa president Randall Overbey announced yesterday. He made the disclosure during a breakfast meeting hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce at Cara Suites Hotel, Claxton Bay.

The plant which will produce alumina has earned the wrath of Chatam and Cape-de-ville residents as well as local environmentalists. The residents last week signed a document to retain Ramesh Lawarence Maharaj SC to apply to the high court for an injunction to block construction.

At yesterday’s breakfast meeting, Overbey noted that an “agreement in principle” was signed with the Manning administration in February for the construction of a “world-class aluminium smelter.”

“We did sign an agreement in principle with the Government, and I hope the Government knows that we view this as a very important document which we must both take seriously,” he said.

Alcoa, the president said, was not unmindful of the objections to the smelter. However, he added, the US-based company would proceed with the certificate of clearance and the environmental impact assessment from the Environmental Management Agency.

Overbey announced that test drilling would soon begin at the site in the next few weeks. Overbey said that during the construction phase of the smelter, some 1,500 jobs would be generated while 750 full-time jobs would be created.

He said that the 341,000 metric-tonnes-per-year smelter plant would stimulate road upgrades and improvements in the electricity and water supply in the Chatam and Cape-de-ville communities. Overbey noted that similar facilities had been constructed in Australia.