"Our protest is designed to express our opposition to the proposed expansion of
the aluminium smelters at Straumsvík (ALCAN) and Grundartangi (Century), as
well as the construction of an anode factory at Katanes (R&D Ltd.) and yet
another Century smelter at Helguvik. We find it wholly unacceptable that the
Faxaflói bay should become the most highly polluted area in Northern Europe,
yet this is what will happen if these plans go ahead.

The additional sacrifices of Iceland's most precious natural jewels, the Ramsar
protected wetlands of Thjorsarver and one of Europe's most beautiful lakes,
Langisjor, to facilitate the expansions of the ALCAN and Century smelters are
completely unacceptable.

We also wish to show our solidarity with the people who have suffered from
ALCAN's immoral and inhuman working practices around the world; from the
workers at Straumsvík who have contacted us to describe their unacceptable
working conditions and the abuse of employees' rights, to the inhabitants of
the Kashipur district of India who have been fighting for twelve years against
a planned bauxite mine and ALCAN aluminium plant which will force at least
20,000 people to leave their farm lands and will pollute their water supply
(see www.saanet.org/alcant), not forgetting the residents of Hafnarfjördur in
Iceland who are demanding a local referendum on the expansion of the ALCAN
plant.

We urge the Icelandic press to better inform themselves about the environmental
impact of the planned build-up of heavy industry around Faxaflói bay, and
equally about the record and working practices of the foreign companies that
the Icelandic government continues to eulogize and acclaim as the saviors of
Iceland."

Here is an Alcan board member's critique of the film 'The Corporation', given to some environmental body.

 http://www.alcan.com/web/publishing.nsf/Content/Towards+Sustainability:+Rewriting+the+Script

Classic quote : "When corporations are discovered to be the perpetrators of environmental violations or worker exploitation, or are accused of unethical behaviour, consumers get hostile—and the smart investor is alarmed." ie they don't give a damn until their profits are threatened, which is true. I would suggest tracking Milton K. Wong down, drugging and kidnapping him to Iceland to make him face his own hypocracy. He is a philanthropist seemingly (ie a rich killer with a guilt complex).



This is anectdotal 'evidence' at best, but in the 1960's and '70's there was an Alcan plant in Armadale, West Lothian, and I know people who lived there. They all claim that while the plant was operational three times as many male children were born in the town as females and that was the real reason that the plant was closed. I can't find a shred of evidence to back this up unfortunately but I don't doubt it.