Union foresees demolition of Alcoa Washington smelter

Workers keeping watch over an idled primary aluminum smelter in Ferndale, Washington, owned by Alcoa Corp. say the Pittsburgh-based company has begun to move equipment off-site. Members of the union tell KING-TV they are “trying to make the case to urge Alcoa not to start the demolition.”

Brian Urban of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) union tells KING-TV he thought efforts to find a new owner for the plant were making “real progress.”

“That process is ongoing and showing great results, but we do need a longer time for the feasibility assessment to be made,” Urban tells the TV station. “It looks good. That’s why we’re trying to make the case to urge Alcoa not to start the demolition.”

In a presentation to investors in mid-January, Alcoa mentions projects and predicted changes at several of its smelters, including ones in Warrick, Indiana; Massena, New York; Deschambault, Quebec, Canada; and in Australia, Brazil, Norway and Spain. The Ferndale smelter is not mentioned.

In an April 2020 earnings news release, Alcoa announced it would “curtail the remaining 230,000 metric tons of uncompetitive smelting capacity at its Intalco smelter in Ferndale, Washington, amid declining market conditions.”

The Intalco smelter began operating in 1966 and, before owned by Alcoa, was operated by Alumax, Pechiney and Howmet. Howmet was purchased by Alcoa in 2000 and then spun off again in 2020.

It is unclear how many square feet of indoor space is onsite at the Ferndale complex, but an overhead view of the complex shows several buildings and numerous structures and metal storage vessels.

The mayor of Ferndale, a city of about 15,000 people approximately 100 miles north of Seattle, tells KING-TV, “This feels like it closes a chapter, so we get to start looking at what the next chapter is.”

KING-TV says Alcoa did not confirm any demolition plans, with a spokesperson there instead saying the aluminum producer continues to evaluate options for the Ferndale plant and other Alcoa “curtailed or closed sites.”