Gove Peninsula, Australia

Closed operations

Asia Pacific

Argyle

EAST KIMBERLEY, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Our Argyle diamond mine, which sits on the traditional country of the Miriwoong, Gija, Malgnin and Wularr people in Western Australia, became one of the world’s largest producers of diamonds and the largest supplier of natural-coloured diamonds – including white, yellow, blue, violet and the rare and highly-coveted Argyle pink and red diamonds.

In November 2020 mining ceased at Argyle, after 37 years of operations.

We are committed to respectfully closing and rehabilitating the mine, and returning the land to its traditional custodians.

In 2023, we completed removal of the processing plant above ground infrastructure, continued reprofiling of the alluvial mining and waste rock landforms and capping of the tailings storage facility.

We are working with Miriwoong and Gija Traditional Owners to best support and expand meaningful participation as we rehabilitate the site.

Argyle tailings storage facility and main access roads
Argyle, East Kimberley, Western Australia

Gove refinery and bauxite residue disposal areas

EAST ARNHEM, NORTHERN TERRITORY

While mining continues at our Gove bauxite operations, we are progressively closing the site. We’re decommissioning and demolishing the refinery and progressively capping bauxite residue disposal areas. The refinery demolition led by Liberty Industrial, is one of the largest demolition projects in the Southern Hemisphere. It will take approximately 10 years, with ongoing environmental monitoring.

In 2023 we began the refinery demolition project and completed the first shipment of scrap steel for recycling. While water treatment and capping of the residue disposal areas continues, we are working closely with Gumatj and Rirratingu Traditional Owners, and the Northern Territory Goverment, to plan for a future beyond mining.

Gove refinery
Gove, East Arnhem, Northern Territory

Kelian

EAST KALIMANTAN, INDONESIA

The Kelian gold mine finished production and closed in 2005. We remediated the waste dumps, built water retaining dams to protect the ground and surface water from mine waste tailings, and converted areas that lay beneath the processing plant into a wetland. The site is now in long-term care and maintenance after having fulfilled all closure requirements in 2015.

In 2017, the Indonesian government and the World Wildlife Fund assessed the region as an ideal location for the highly endangered Sumatran rhino. A section of the Kelian mining lease area (“lease”) was converted and is now used as a sanctuary with the intent to house and breed rhinos and eventually release them into the wild. The Kelian mining lease is now terminated and the lease area has been designated as a Protection Forest.

Sumatran Rhino
Sumatran Rhino

Closure stories

Weipa seeds

Sowing seeds for stronger rehabilitation

We’re working with community seed collectors to improve how we restore land after mining
Borrow area, Gove

Re-planting an ecosystem without topsoil

Researching new techniques to rehabilitate land
Holden, United States

Closure: towards a positive legacy

Overcoming closure challenges at a former mine site

Europe

Dammarie

ILE DE FRANCE, FRANCE

Dammarie was a former aluminium foundry operated by Affimet until 1984. We acquired it in 2007 as part of the Alcan perimeter.

We dismantled Dammarie between 2007 and 2009 and demolished the last of the buildings in 2017 after remediating hydrocarbons in the shallow soil.

The final stage of rehabilitation involves the removal of the salt slag stockpiled to landfill during operation. When rehabilitation is complete, Dammarie will be suitable for future use.

Salindres

OCCITANIA, FRANCE

With a 160 year industrial past, Salindres was instrumental in introducing Aluminium production and was in operation until 1995.

Salindres was originally operated by Aluminium Pechiney, the world’s fourth largest producer of Aluminium products, until Alcan acquired it in 2003. In 2007 we acquired Alcan and became responsible for the site.

Salindres has bauxite and gypsum residues onsite. Since 1991, it has been rehabilitated in successive stages. Next, we intend to cap the area, preventing rainwater from entering the waste mound. This will gradually dry up the water contained in the mound, prevent runoff and improve water quality in the adjoining Arias River.

Today, Salindres is co-located with two production plants, operated by the Solvay group and the Axens group, and the entire perimeter is classified as a Seveso site (high level). The Solvay group makes products for electronics, pharmaceutical and crop protection markets and the Axens group operates a catalyst and absorbent factory.

The Solvay group is also completing a rehabilitation project on-site, alongside our rehabilitation work.

Salindres, Occitania, France
Salindres, Occitania, France

Segoussac

OCCITANIA, FRANCE

From 1965 to 1984, bauxite residue coming from the Salindres Aluminium Pechiney factory was stored at Segoussac.

The site’s bauxite residue is partially covered with a limestone mask, and partially covered with water. Well-established plants have now grown over. The site has two dams and a dike with a concrete spillway. Water from the spillway is discharged into the natural environment without treatment. Higher pH water is collected in the lower basin and pumped to a treatment plant.

Seggoussac seed germination trials
Seggoussac seed germination trials

Le Thoronet

PROVENCE, FRANCE

We have completed our post-mining obligations at Le Thoronet, a former bauxite mine, and handed back the site to the French authorities for monitoring and maintenance.

In 2023, we opened an eco-park in partnership with the French Ministry of ecological transition featuring public hiking trails and diverse habitat areas to support local wildlife.

Le Thoronet, Provence, France
Le Thoronet, Provence, France

Winnyhall

FIFE, SCOTLAND

Winnyhall was used as landfill from the 1940s for residues from the Burntisland alumina refinery. The refinery closed in November 2002 and, after its remediation, is now a residential development.

Winnyhall was extensively re-profiled during 2005, including a sophisticated drainage system to capture leachate and surface water run-off. The site continues to be managed full time by Rio Tinto, including general site maintenance, collection and treatment of leachate.

The area is surrounded by countryside including farmland, a golf course and an ecology centre and it has long-reaching views out to sea.

Fife, Scotland
Fife, Scotland

North America

Beatson

ALASKA, USA

The Beatson Mine was a former copper operation, comprising 3 mines called Beatson, Blackbird and Chenega, which operated on Latouche Island, Alaska between 1904 and 1930. We acquired the mineral estate when we bought Kennecott Copper Corporation in 1989.

We have been working with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation to understand potential environmental impacts and clean up the site.

Beatson, Alaska, USA
Beatson, Alaska, USA

Flambeau

WISCONSIN, USA

The Flambeau Mine, located along the shores of the Flambeau River near Ladysmith, Wisconsin, operated from 1993 to 1997 and was reclaimed in 1999.

As the first mine to earn permits and operate under Wisconsin’s stringent modern mining laws, the Flambeau Mine met the highest mining, exploration and reclamation standards.

The deposit generated a total of 181,000 tons of copper, 334,000 ounces of gold, and 3.3 million ounces of silver.

Today the site is known as the Reclaimed Flambeau Mine Nature Trails and Recreation Area. The site is home to prairie and woodland habitat, and wetlands that support hundreds of plant and wildlife species. Visitors enjoy free access to miles of hiking and equestrian trails, as well as bird watching, fishing and a variety of other activities.

Flambeau, Wisconsin, USA
Flambeau, Wisconsin, USA

Holden

WASHINGTON STATE, USA

Holden mine near Lake Chelan was one of the US’s largest operating copper mines until it closed in 1957. We assumed responsibility for its remediation when we acquired Alcan in 2007.

In 2018, we completed the first phase of a federally mandated remediation project to address issues like decaying infrastructure and mine waste seeping into groundwater, which was polluting the adjacent creek and damaging the surrounding environment, including wetlands.

Nestled in a remote part of the Cascade Mountains, accessible only by water, the mine’s historic village is now a Lutheran community and spiritual retreat centre, which is also a popular tourist destination. We worked closely with the local community to ensure the remediation process minimised disruption for residents, guests and recreationalists.

As part of the phase 1 remediation, we reshaped and covered around 8 million tonnes of tailings and waste rock piles, and built a barrier wall to contain and divert polluted groundwater to a newly constructed water treatment plant. We continue to monitor Holden’s environmental impact to ensure any risks and issues are managed.

Holden, Washington State, USA
Holden, Washington State, USA

Mount Rosser

ST CATHERINE, JAMAICA

Mount Rosser is a red mud bauxite residue tailings facility in Jamaica that we inherited as part of our acquisition of Alcan in 2007.

After extensive local community and government engagement in 2006, we began a project to fully vegetate the site and build a new spillway at ground level.

The team successfully treated the mud by turning it into soil, eliminating exposure to toxic red mud, improving the quality of runoff water and reducing the amount of treatment required.

It’s now a thriving rehabilitated area with diverse plants and animals.

Mount Rosser, St Catherine, Jamaica
Mount Rosser, St Catherine, Jamaica

Pohatcong

NEW JERSEY, USA

Pohatcong is a former plastics-packaging site in New Jersey which was identified on the Superfund National Priorities List in 1989. We assumed responsibility for its remediation when we acquired Alcan in 2007.

The entire site is approximately nine miles long by approximately one to one and a half miles wide and approximately 5600 acres. Due to its size and complexity, the Site remediation has been divided into three operable units, referred to as OU1, OU2 and OU3.

In OU1 we’ve built and are operating a groundwater extraction and treatment system to decontaminate the water within the Washington Borough and parts of the Washington and Franklin townships.

In OU2 we’ve connected hundreds of private properties to potable water main and service lines, and we are monitoring the quality of the water entering these lines.

In OU3 we’ve also treated the soil underneath the former plastics packaging plant with in-situ thermal remediation. We have further work planned to monitor air quality in the plant and to verify vapours from the soil are not entering the building.

Pohatcong, New Jersey, USA
Pohatcong, New Jersey, USA

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