Environmental Impact Assessment - Environmental Resources Management (ERM)

Alcoa, in cooperation with the Greenland Self Rule Government (GSR), proposes to construct and operate an aluminum smelter and associated facilities in West Greenland. The smelter and associated facilities together constitute the Greenland Aluminum and Hydroelectric Development Project (referenced hereafter as the Project).

The Project will consist of the following components:

An aluminium smelter with a projected design capacity of 340,000 metric-tons-per-year;
Hydropower stations at Tasersiaq and Imarsuup Isua to provide electrical power to the smelter;
Two transmission lines to connect the smelter with the hydroelectric facilities; and
A port for importing and exporting Project-related materials.

The smelter will be located on the north-western tip of Maniitsoq Island on the southwest side of Greenland approximately 11 km from the town of Maniitsoq in the county of Kitaa (Figure 1). The port will be located immediately adjacent to the smelter site with a sea approach on the western side of Maniitsoq Island. The hydropower component will consist of two separate developments, referred to as the north and south developments. The north development will be located at Lake Tasersiaq, approximately 95 km (58 miles) east of Kangaamiut, near the eastern boundary of the Sukkertoppen Iskappe (Figure 2). The south development will be located at Imarsuup Isua, approximately 120 km (75 miles) east of Nuuk and Maniitsoq, and approximately the same distance south of the north development.

Figure 1: Smelter and Harbor (Click here for larger image)

Figure 2: Project Infrastructure (Click here for larger image)

Environmental, Social, and Health Impact Assessment Study (EIA)

Alcoa commissioned ERM to prepare the EIA for the Project. The EIA will document the potential effects of the Project and recommend measures to manage (maximize positive and minimize negative) and monitor those effects. The EIA will cover the four phases of the Project: pre-construction, construction, operation, and decommissioning.

EIA Objectives

The key objectives of the EIA are to:

Document the ecological and socioeconomic baseline conditions of the study area and the affected communities;
Inform and obtain input from stakeholders, (e.g., governmental authorities, the public, and indigenous communities) and address their relevant issues and concerns;
Assess in detail the environmental, social, and health impacts that would result from the Project;
Identify environmental and social mitigation measures to address the identified impacts;
Develop the environmental and social management plans (ESMPs) based on the mitigation measures developed in the EIA;
Meet the requirements or recommendations of the applicable national and international regulations and standards;
Be guided by the policies, guidelines, and procedures of the relevant international treaties and agreements; and
Be consistent with Alcoa’s policies and corporate values.

EIA Approach

The GSR is currently developing impact assessment guidelines to define the recommended methods for conducting impact assessments in Greenland. Therefore, in lieu of formal Greenland impact assessment guidelines, the Project EIA will be developed in accordance with applicable international standards and guidelines including the European Union EIA Directive, Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy, IFC Performance Standards, and the World Bank Guidelines.

The approach to the EIA comprises five phases:

Scoping
Studies
Impact Assessment
Disclosure
Implementation

The EIA is currently in the Studies phase

EIA Resources

The EIA will draw on a significant body of existing information, including the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the Project (completed in 2007 by GSR), existing data from local and international experts, and baseline surveys that are specifically conducted for the EIA. Field data collection for baseline surveys began in the spring of 2008 and will continue through the end of 2009. ERM is cooperating with several Government and non-government partners including the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Greenland National Museum, and the Danish National Environmental Research Institute to compile existing data and conduct baseline studies.

Stakeholder Consultation

Stakeholder consultation was initiated at the beginning of the scoping phase in September 2008 and will continue throughout the EIA process. ERM will facilitate public meetings at national and local levels and collect public input via surveys, focus group discussions, and structured interviews at the household and community level in the Project area. This website also serves as a vehicle for communication with stakeholders, as it is regularly updated with EIA-related information and contains a link for posting comments regarding the Project and/or EIA. We also encourage you to email us with your comments about the EIA at greenland.info@erm.com.

January 2009 Public Meetings

In January 2009 Alcoa, ERM, Greenland Development, and their study partners presented the draft Terms of Reference for the Project at public meetings in Sisimiut, Maniitsoq, and Nuuk. Alcoa and Greenland Development provided updates on the Project, ERM provided an update on the EIA process and the draft Terms of Reference, and some of our local study partners provided updates on environmental and archaeological studies being conducted as part of the EIA. Alcoa also met with local business and political leaders and answered questions about the Project during a live radio broadcast from Maniitsoq. The public provided input during question-and-answer sessions and open houses at each meeting.

The presentations and posters presented at the public meetings in January 2009 in Maniitsoq, Sisimiut, and Nuuk may be downloaded from the following links:

Documents

Terms of Reference
Click here for English version (2.06 MB PDF)
* Updated as of 4/22/2009. Greenlandic version available soon.

Presentations

Project Overview (Alcoa)
Click here for English version (964 KB PDF)
Click here for Greenlandic version (964 KB PDF)

Project Overview (Greenland Development)
Click here to download Greenland Development's presentation from their website.

EIA Terms of Reference (ERM)
Click here for English version (1.49 MB PDF)
Click here for Greenlandic version (1.37 MB PDF)

Posters from the TOR meetings (January 2009)

Environmental Studies 1-Air, Noise, Visual, and Engineering Studies
Click here for English Version (133 KB PDF)

Environmental Studies 2-Fish and Caribou Studies
Click here for English version (159 KB PDF)
Click here for Greenlandic version (207 KB PDF)

Health Study
Click here for English version (55 KB PDF)
Click here for Greenlandic version (56 KB PDF)

Social Study
Click here for English version (91 KB PDF)

Project Summary
Click here for English version (94 KB PDF)
Click here for Greenlandic version (96 KB PDF)

January 2010 Public Meetings

Alcoa, ERM, Greenland Development, and their study partners have completed the studies intended to support the baseline for the EIA. They have scheduled another round of public meetings in January 2010 to present the findings of these studies and to give the public an opportunity to provide input on the study findings. Each meeting will include short presentations on the studies, as well as a question-and-answer session and an open house component. The schedule for the meetings is as follows:

Nuuk, 18th January, 2010
Place: Katuaq
Time: 19:00 - 21:30
Maniitsoq, 19th January 2010
Place: Public Hall
Time: 19:30 – 22:00
Sisimiut,20th January, 2010
Place: Taseralik
Time: 19:00 -21:30
Kangerlussuaq, 21st January 2010
Place: Qinnguata Atuarfia
Time: 19:00 – 21:30

Posters

Aquatic Baseline Studies

ERM Contacts

Press Release