Alcoa Pinjarra dust: Residents face nervous wait for US mining giant’s test results amid government delays

There are mounting community concerns that red dust blowing from waste stockpiles at Alcoa’s Pinjarra alumina refinery near a local primary school is toxic and dangerously radioactive — and repeated delays for government test results are adding fuel to the fire. The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation was due to hand down its assessment of the accumulating stockpiles of dust four months ago. It’s been an anxious wait since for Rusty Geller, president of the Peel Environmental Protection Alliance, who says the report’s release has been delayed every month since the end of March. The Alcoa refinery is a huge employer in the Peel region but increasing suburban development near Pinjarra has heightened anxiety in the region of about 6000 people over its environmental impacts. Some 1600 people work at the refinery — which was commissioned in 1972, one year after the school opened — and the majority live in the Peel region. Mr Geller said PEPA was formed by local residents concerned about toxic air pollution from the refinery, about 3km south-east of Carcoola Primary School, and neighbours’ farmland. “We worry about the kids 10 or 20 years from now having health issues because of this,” he told The West Australian. “The rooftop evaporative air conditioners in the houses around the primary school, the filters were full of red dust. All we can assume is that same stuff is getting pumped into the primary school. “According to what we can figure out during about 2017 they (Alcoa) increased production, and that’s when the dust started to increase.” Mr Geller said the health struggles of a couple that owns the residence closest to the waste stockpiles was the genesis of PEPA. “They’ve been experiencing all these health issues for years, like dust nose bleeds,” he said. “She had to have a hysterectomy at 44 (years of age), their 15-year-old son started losing his hair and their 12-year-old daughter had some cervical cysts removed.” He claims independent testing shows the dust blows through the town of Pinjarra, and as far as 20km west across the Peel Inlet to Erskine, in the City of Mandurah. Mr Geller is concerned the dust contains high levels of radioactive elements and other toxic metals such as mercury. “The dust … it’s got these markers of heavy metals in it, so you can trace it. The thorium, uranium and gallium are the so-called fingerprints,” he said. A spokesman from DWER said the department was “aware” the Pinjarra refinery stockpiles “contain traces of uranium and thorium”, two radioactive elements, but appeared to downplay its significance. “Uranium and thorium are naturally occurring elements that are widespread in the Earth’s crust,” the DWER spokesman said. He did not disclose when DWER expects to publish the delayed report — which will measure the volume and content of the dust in Pinjarra — but said it was being finalised. “DWER recently completed an ambient air monitoring program over three periods in 2023 and 2024 for approximately five months in total, at a community receptor location on the outskirts of the Pinjarra township,” he said. “DWER is currently finalising supplemental information and a summary of the data for release to the community.” A spokesman for Pennsylvania-headquartered Alcoa said the company takes all community concerns seriously. “We are aware of some concerns about dust emissions from our Pinjarra alumina refinery and continue to work closely and collaboratively with DWER and others in relation to these concerns,” he said. “Numerous research studies and health risk assessments conducted over many years by third-party experts have found the potential for refinery dust emissions to cause health issues in the community is low. “These third-party health risk assessments have not found any concentrations (of uranium of thorium) that would pose a health risk to its workers or the community”. A spokeswoman for the Shire of Murray said the council was aware of community concerns. “Our role in local government is to be a voice for local issues and we therefore continue to liaise with Alcoa to ensure legitimate community concerns are listened to and adequately addressed,” she said. “The management of dust and residue storage remain part of our ongoing discussions. “We believe that continued monitoring, and open and transparent reporting, along with proactive management of any issues identified is key in building trust and addressing community concern.”