Washington State Department of Ecology : Solid Waste : Industrial : Facilities - Aluminum Facilities

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Aluminum Facilities

There are currently five aluminum smelters in Washington State. Of these five, two are operating, one is temporarily curtailed, and two are in the process of dismantling. Two other previously operating aluminum smelters completed demolition in 2006 (Kaiser Mead - Spokane & Kaiser Tacoma) and are no longer functional smelters. A magnesium smelter (Northwest Alloys) closed permanently in 2001. The Industrial Section has responsibility to oversee the operating and closing smelters to ensure their compliance with water, air, and waste regulations. These eight facilities were built between 1940 and 1970.

The aluminum smelters built in the early 1940's were constructed without control scrubbers and chemical waste water treatment systems. These early control systems were installed because of the environmental damage caused by fluoride emissions. Smelters built between 1950 and 1970 were constructed with pollution control facilities. In the late 1990s or early in the year 2000 the Washington State aluminum and magnesium smelters were either temporarily curtailed or permanently shutdown because of the high cost of energy and the low price of alumninum.

The clean-up occuring at the Evergreen/Alcoa Smelter:

Alcoa Vancouver Site

The five aluminum smelters in Washington are:

Four are located on the Columbia River

One located at Cherry Point near Ferndale

Alcoa Primary Products, Intalco Works

You can find out more about the aluminum smelting process from the EPA document "Profile of the Nonferrous Metals Industry"

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For More Information Please Contact Kathy Vermillion