Rio Tinto commences tidy out toxic waste from Tiwai Point aluminium smelter site

The controlling shareholder of Tiwai Point aluminium smelter in New Zealand, Rio Tinto will commence transporting the hazardous stuff which is being stowed away at Tiwai Point, as the company initiates clearing up the site, a place where it has produced aluminium for over 50 years.

The only aluminium smelter in New Zealand rolled under pressure to clean up the smelter site following it was disclosed that it has been stockpiling potentially toxic waste in storage facilities and a landfill.

Although the prospect for the smelter has grown to stay open past its 2024 closure date, Chris Blenkiron, the Chief Executive and General Manager of NZAS said, “Regardless of the closure date or plan for the operation at Tiwai Point, Rio Tinto and NZAS are committed to remediating the site.”

”We are not waiting, right now we are working closely with Ngāi Tahu, Environment Southland and the Ministry for the Environment on achieving the best outcomes,'' he said.

The company reported that it has 217,000 tonnes of spent cell lining in two storage facilities at its site near Bluff. However, some are in a purpose-built building and 106,000 tonnes is being stockpiled on an engineered concrete pad with purpose-built drainage, while the pad is about 100m from a beach of being impacted by coastal erosion.

Blenkiron added, “Contracts were in place to begin exporting spent cell lining to industrial end-users.”