Alcoa wins national award for land reclamation

Alcoa announced September 25 that it is a recipient of the U.S. Department of Interior's Office of Surface Mining 2006 National Award for Excellence in Surface Mining for its land reclamation accomplishments at its Sandow Mine located in Rockdale, Texas. This is the second time the Alcoa Sandow Mine has been nationally recognized as a leader in the reclamation of surface-mined land by the U.S. government organization. In 1998, Alcoa Sandow Mine was designated by the agency as "Best of the Best" of all surface mines in the nation for environmental stewardship.

The OSM's National awards are presented to companies for developing reclamation techniques that have widespread application to other areas and for outstanding on-the-ground reclamation using traditional reclamation methods. Winners are selected following a thorough evaluation of an organization involving a site visit and review of Surface Mining Law compliance records. Other criteria includes difficulty of achieving reclamation under existing conditions, ability to transfer best practices, exceeds the spirit and intent of the Surface Mining Law, and long-term benefits to the community.

"In making this award we acknowledge your long commitment to the environment at Sandow and your work to ensure enduring economic benefit to the community including hay production, wetlands restoration and habitat," said Office of Surface Mining acting director Brent Wahlquist. "This high-quality reclamation is a model for the coal industry. I commend you for the high standards that you have set and for your company's strong commitment to people and the environment."

"As a member of the community, Alcoa recognizes its responsibility in replenishing the natural habitats and the ecosystem that is disrupted during mining," said Geoff Cromer, Vice President, Operations Alcoa Primary Metals, USA. "We take great pride in this national recognition of our environmental management efforts at the Sandow Mine and making the reclaimed land rich and fertile, with abundant wildlife, wetland areas, and native grasses and trees. We will continue to focus on developing other ways to ensure a sustainable future." 

The Excellence in Surface Coal Mining and Reclamation awards program began in 1986 to publicly recognize outstanding active coal mine reclamation and to highlight exemplary reclamation techniques.

Alcoa is the world's leading producer and manager of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina facilities, and is active in all major aspects of the industry.