Alcoa refuses to rule out mining the Perth Hills
A letter from the US miner raised hope that the jarrah forest inland from Perth would escape its strip mining for bauxite, but Alcoa is keeping its options open.
Bauxite is strip-mined in WA's jarrah forest by Alcoa and South32 to feed three alumina refineries that produce the material for aluminium smelters.
Within weeks, the US miner will reveal for public comment plans to strip mine 75 square kilometres of jarrah forest.
The cost of managing water where it stores 140 million tonnes of caustic red mud has doubled.
Alcoa has made last minute changes to its planned expansion of mining in WA's jarrah forest and wants to reenter a previously mined area, potentially triggering a new major federal environmental assessment.
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