The American company Alcoa, which specializes in aluminum mining, has to pay 55 million Australian dollars (about $38.9 million) to restore the local forest. The mining company had previously illegally destroyed forest areas in Western Australia so that they would not interfere with bauxite mining near the state capital, Perth.
According to Reuters, the US company destroyed 2,100 hectares of forest in the Northern Jarrah Forest without the permission of the Australian government.
Unprecedented fine
The Australian Ministry of the Environment noted that this fine is the largest of its kind. The continent's government intends to allocate these funds to projects aimed at preserving Australia's nature. In particular, this includes the following:
- environmental compensation;
- programs for the conservation of black cockatoos that inhabited the forests destroyed by the American industrialists;
- improved management of invasive species.
Alcoa has been mining aluminum raw materials in Australia since the 1960s. During this time, the Americans have cleared about 28,000 hectares of jarrah forests in the state of Western Australia. However, the publication emphasizes Alcoa’s role as an employer – of 5,500 workers nationwide, 4,300 are located in the state.
The public is categorically opposed to logging
Western Australia is the only place on the planet where unique eucalyptus forests with jarrah trees grow. However, recently Alcoa announced a proposal to clear an additional 11,500 hectares of these woods. The public opposition is extremely large. This proposal has already resulted in 59,000 submissions to the environmental oversight body.
At the same time, the Australian Department of the Environment has announced a government assessment of Alcoa’s activities. In particular, the cumulative impact of the company’s current and potential future mining operations through 2045 will be assessed.
While the assessment process continues, Alcoa will be allowed to clear “restricted areas” over the next year and a half. This is due to the fact that the company is subject to an exception related to national interests. For this, Alcoa has promised to pay an additional $4.2 million.
EcoPolitic earlier reported that due to Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s forest fund area decreased by 20%.
