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Alcoa to shut its Victorian brown-coal mine and power plant with 85 jobs lost

Alcoa will shut its controversial brown-coal mine and power plant on Victoria’s surf coast, with the loss of 85 jobs.

The mining operation, which was established in the town of Anglesea 46 years ago, will shut on 31 August after Alcoa failed to find a buyer.

The Victorian government said the closure was a “sad day” for Alcoa’s workers and promised to ensure “all assistance is provided during this difficult time”.

But green groups and a community organisation welcomed the decision, arguing that the plant was highly polluting and untenable in a modern energy market.

Anglesea primary school is just 1.2km from the coal plant, and parents have raised concerns about the levels of sulphur dioxide it emits.
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Recent research by Harvard University found that the Anglesea plant cost the public more than $231m a year in health and environmental impacts.

The managing director of Alcoa of Australia, Alan Cransberg, said the company’s “key concern” was the future of the 85 employees who would lose their jobs.

“Alcoa has been a proud member of the Anglesea community for more than 46 years, and our focus is in supporting our employees and their families, our contractors, suppliers and community partners through this transition,” he said.

Alcoa put the Anglesea plant up for sale in February 2014. The plant provided about 40% of the power required for the Port Henry smelter in Geelong, which closed in August.

Andrew Laird, a local barrister and spokesman for the Surf Coast Air Action group, said members were “absolutely delighted”.

“It’s completely our of the blue but wonderful when you think of the health outcomes alone due to this grossly polluting plant and mine,” he told Guardian Australia.

“We have a number of mothers in the group who have kids at Anglesea primary school and they are overjoyed and in shock at the announcement. This plant is the fourth highest emitter of sulphur dioxide in Australia. It’s absolutely huge.

“Of course we feel sympathy for those who have lost their jobs, but we need to move to a clean energy economy. If a country like Australia can’t gracefully retire a polluting plant like Anglesea, there isn’t much hope for the planet.”

Laird said some of the redundant workers could be employed to rehabilitate the site, a process required by the Victorian government. The plant’s impact on the nearby Anglesea heath, a key area of biodiversity-rich habitat, also angered environmentalists.

Leigh Ewbank, Friends of the Earth’s renewable energy spokesman, said: “Alcoa’s decision sets a precedent. It shows that communities can revoke the social licence for coal to operate.

“The Anglesea community’s campaign effectively made this polluting coal plant a stranded asset. Coal operators must be wondering which coal-affected community will be next to revoke the social licence.”

source: http://www.theguardian.com