Environmental excellence, social actions and 10 million hours without a lost workday mark the conclusion of 60% of construction in Juruti.
Alcoa’s new Bauxite Mine being implemented in Juruti, Pará State, in the Brazilian Amazon region, closes 2007 with expressive conquests reflecting serious work and a permanent quest for professional excellence. On December 13 the State Government’s Environmental Secretary renewed the Installation Licences for all parts of the project, which includes a port, a highway, a railroad and the infrastructure for bauxite mining and beneficiation. This approval by the Government’s environmental department confirms that the implementation of the Juruti Mine is in absolute compliance with – and even exceeds – the legal statutes, based as it is on the Company’s high standards.
Periodic monitoring of the quality of the water, air, soil, climate, noise level, fauna and flora is conducted in various sampling points in Juruti. Important actions in the social and economic area are also being implemented. Such initiatives encompass from incentive to traditional cultures, such as fish and river turtle breeding, the use of non-wood forestry products and arts and crafts, to supporting the development of new alternatives for income generation, such as vegetable gardens and the qualification of business persons for local commerce. Juruti also benefits from other programs based on Alcoa partnerships with high-level organizations in fields such as health, culture, security and environmental, public and professional education.
In addition to such actions that constitute the legally-required Environmental Control Plans, the renewal of the licences by the State Government took into consideration the complementary benefits provided by the Positive Agenda, implemented by Alcoa in partnership with the Juruti Municipal Administration, and on the fact that the Company is consolidating constant dialogue spaces, which assure the engagement of all stakeholders. The Positive Agenda includes important structural investments that already result in surmounting historic difficulties of the municipality, which is 124 years-old and where more than half of the 35,000 population lives in the rural area.
10 million hours with no incidents
According to Mauricio Macedo, Sustainability and Corporate Affairs manager, in parallel with environmental excellence and various social initiatives, the Juruti Mine project reached the impressive mark of 10 million hours with no incidents with lost workdays. This record was established on December, 17 and constitutes an extraordinary conquest, in the face of the challenges of construction activity, under the peculiarities of the Amazon region, such as intense tropical rains and logistic difficulties.
“The Alcoa Juruti Mine approaches the closing of 2007 showing robust advancement, with approximately 60% of the construction works concluded in total safety, overcoming the environmental requirements, in permanent dialogue with the local communities and with its Installation Licences renewed”- says Tiniti Matsumoto Jr., general Development manager of Alcoa Juruti Mine.
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