The mine safety regulator of Western Australia is investigating the leakage of seven million litres of potentially toxic material gushed from a tank at Alcoa’s alumina refinery this week.

On 9^th March 2021, the incident took place at the American industrial giant’s alumina refinery in Wagerup, 120 kilometres south of Perth.

As per our sources, the material leakage from a tank came to Alcoa’s knowledge at late night. However, no employees were in the zone at the time and the clean-up of the site was commenced immediately.

On 12^th March 2021, Alcoa engaged the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety and inspectors on-site to investigate.

Alcoa stated that the potentially alkaline mining process material had escaped through a hole in the bottom of a tank in a report to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.

A spokesperson for the department said: “Alcoa reported that the material entered the second and third containment bunds before flowing to the unsealed ground in the processing area.”

Alcoa’s report said: “No material entered the surrounding environment and that it was not expected to enter waterways.”

“All recovered material would be returned for processing or disposed of at a residue storage area.”