Norwegian energy group Norsk Hydro, accused of causing environmental damage in northern Brazil, on Monday apologised for the unauthorised discharge of untreated water into a local river from its aluminium factory Alunorte, the largest in the world.

"We have discharged untreated rain and surface water into the Para River," Chief Executive Svein Richard Brandtzaeg said in a statement.

"This is completely unacceptable and in breach with what Hydro stands for. On behalf of the company, I personally apologise to the communities, authorities and the society" he added.

Brazilian authorities have accused the company of having contaminated the Barcarena municipality's water with bauxite residues which they claimed had overflowed from a deposit basin at the Alunorte plant after heavy rainfall on February 16 and 17.

In response, they slapped Norsk Hydro with two fines of 10 million reais (2.5 million euros, around $3 million) each and ordered the aluminium supplier to halve its production at the site and suspend the use of the basin.

The incident poses risks to fishermen and other communities living near the Amazon River as the water they drink and bathe in have high levels of aluminium and heavy metals, according to an institute reporting to Brazil's ministry of public health.

The spills announced on Monday are independent of the extreme weather incident in mid-February, Norsk Hydro said.

"According to the license, all rain and surface water from Alunorte refinery area should have been led to the water treatment system", the company said.

It launched an internal investigation and commissioned an independent audit by the UK-based environmental consultancy, SGW Services, to shed light on these incidents.

On Friday, the company announced 500 million kroner (52.6 million euros) investment in upgrading the water treatment system at the site.

These difficulties are of concern to investors: Alunorte, which is 92.1 percent owned by Norsk Hydro, has an annual production capacity of 6.3 million tonnes of alumina, the main raw material for producing aluminium.

Norsk Hydro's share price was down by 2.02 percent during midday on the Oslo Stock Exchange on Monday, bringing its decline over a month to 17.52 percent.

phy/ik/jh

NORSK HYDRO

Related Links
Water News - Science, Technology and Politics

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Mekong River dams could disrupt lives, environment
Urbana IL (SPX) Mar 12, 2018
The Mekong River, one of the world's largest, traverses six Southeast Asian countries and supports the livelihoods of millions of people. New efforts to provide hydroelectric power to a growing and modernizing population include more than eight proposed main-stem dams and 60 or more existing tributary dams in the lower Mekong basin. A new article from University of Illinois and Iowa State University scientists lays out what dam construction could mean for residents and the environment in the region. ... read more