Spent potlining treatment facility at Jonquière - Alcan clears another hurdle 2000/12/19

Jonquière, Québec — Alcan has cleared another hurdle in the proposed construction of a spent potlining treatment facility at Jonquière with the filing of a notice of application with the Ministère de l'Environnement du Québec. "Alcan's objective is to find the best alternative to stockpiling spent potlining. We intend to treat the spent potlining generated by our smelters and, gradually, to reduce the volumes currently stockpiled. We not only want to treat spent potlining to render it environmentally inoffensive, we want to recycle the potlining by-products", said Richard Yank, president of Alcan Primary Metal Group — Québec and Sebree. Before Alcan can decide whether or not to build a spent potlining treatment facility, it has to complete other key steps including technical and environmental impact studies, consultations with members of the public interested in the project and obtaining of government authorizations. "Over the coming months," said Richard Yank, "based on the directive issued by the Ministère de l'Environnement, Alcan will carry out technical and environmental impact studies to ensure that the process chosen to treat spent potlining is the best solution for the Company and the community, that it is economically viable, that it uses technologies that ensure efficient and safe operations, and that it meets current and future environmental requirements." These studies, which could take about two years, will be under the responsibility of François Ameye, director, environment, for Alcan Primary Metal Group — Québec. "In the course of these studies, Alcan intends to consult the interested people and groups in order to explain the project and hear their concerns, with a view to integrating them into the environmental study" said Ameye. An initial consultation was held in 1997 concerning a spent potlining treatment project presented by a consortium. Other meetings are planned to share the findings of the studies. LCLL process The project targeted by the studies consists in a facility with a treatment capacity of 80,000 tonnes of spent potlining per year. It would use the LCLL hydrometallurgical process developed by the Arvida Research and Development Centre. Located at Alcan's Jonquière Complex, the spent potlining treatment facility would create about 30 direct jobs and would require an investment of approximately $130 million. - 30 - Medias contact : Margot Tapp (418) 699-4045

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