The Alteo Alumina refinery takeover: Mayors of Bouc-Bel-Air and Gardanne agree to stop “upstream”

A time at odds on the environmental aspect of the future of the Alteo alumina plant in Gardanne, the mayors of Bouc-Bel-Air and Gardanne in a joint press release on 5^th December’20 stated that they place their trust in the project to continue the activity of the mining industrialist United mining supply (UMS).

“It turns out that the solidity of the UMS file does not suffer from any possible comparison on the financial, industrial, environmental dimensions and in terms of support for employees”, consider the councillors.

The mayor of Bouc-Bel-Air, Richard Maillé, also expresses his opinion on the prospective buyer in a joint letter with the mayors of the neighbouring towns of Simiane-Collongue and Cabriès addressed to the receiver that they reaffirm their desire to see the Mange-Garri “red mud” storage site closed.

Alteo has been in receivership for almost a year with a search for a buyer. On 8^th December’20, the Marseille commercial court will have to decide between the two offers maintained. UMS plans to shut down the “upstream” part of the plant after a transition period of several months. This could eliminate up to a hundred jobs. It is “upstream” that the bauxite ore is transformed into crude alumina, at the origin of the discharge of residues called “red mud”. The other competing offer provides for the maintenance of all of the plant's activities. It is carried by a former operational director of the plant, Xavier Perrier, associated with the owner of the Kem one Chemical Group, Alain de Krassny.