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4.4 Environmental affairs

4.4.4 Oil and chemical spills

Relates to the following UN World Goals

11. Sjálfbærar borgir og samfélög

Relates to the following subgoals

11.6

By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.

12. Ábyrgð neysla og framleiðsla

Relates to the following subgoals

12.4

By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment.

Progress

 
Sustainability.is
Figure 1. The number of spills over 20 liters and 100 liters per year on land (power plant and smelter) and cargo ships berthed at Mjóeyrarhöfn harbor. Note no case of leakage over 100L has occurred at Fljótsdalsstöð during this time.

 

Updated: May 29, 2024
Source: Alcoa Fjarðaál og Landsvirkjun, 2009-2024.

Metrics, Targets and Monitoring Protocol

What is measured?

Number of spills over 20 liters and 100 liters per year on land (power plant and smelter) and from ships at berth at Mjóeyrarhöfn harbor. (Project effect: direct).

Monitoring Protocol

Recording of incidents:

  • Fljótsdalur Power Station: The station manager is responsible for recording every incident.
  • Fjardaál: EHS team guarantees that every incident is recorded.

Targets

Fljótsdalsstöð Power Station and Alcoa Fjarðaál:

  • 0 spills over 20 liters
  • 0 spills over 100 liters
Possible countermeasures

Safety regulations and supervision should affect handling oil and chemical without any pollution.

Changes of indicator

In the annual general meeting 2019, a change in wording was approved.

Table 1. Changes accepted in annual general meeting 2019
Original text Changed text

What is measured:

  • Number of spills over 20 liters and 2,000 liters per year on land (power plant and smelter) and from ships at berth at Mjóeyrarhöfn harbor. (Project effect: direct).

Targets

  • 0 spills over 20 liters – 0 spills over 2.000 liters

What is measured:

  • Number of spills over 20 liters and 100 liters per year on land (power plant and smelter) and from ships at berth at Mjóeyrarhöfn harbor. (Project effect: direct).

Targets

  • 0 spills over 20 liters – 0 spills over 100 liters

The rationale for the change: According to an Icelandic regulation on prevention of oil pollution from activities on land 884/2017 - Article 61. the standard is 100 liters, while Alcoa's basic criteria are 20 liters.

This indicator was originally number 22.3. It was then named Project-related Oil/Chemical spills and can be found under that number in documents of the project from 2005 and 2006.

The indicator number has been changed twice.

Table 2. Changes to name and number of indicator
Year Nr. Indicator name
2020 4.4.4 Oil and chemical spills
2007 2.9 Oil/Chemical Spills due to projects and operationa

a: This indicator was originally named “Project-related Oil/Chemical spills”. On a steering group meeting, on February 3, 2011, it was agreed to change the name to "Oil/Chemical spills due to project and operation" since spills can occur both during construction and operation.

Baseline

In 2007, there were no oil and chemical spills at Alcoa Fjarðaál and Fljótsdalsstöð.

Rationale for Indicator Selection

Oil and chemical spills can cause significant ecological damage. The long-term sustainability of the East Iceland ecosystem is, in part, dependent upon preventing large-scale oil and chemical releases to the lands and waters surrounding the smelter and berthing area. The economic vitality of East Iceland, for non-Alcoa employees, is largely reliant on the maintenance of the local marine ecosystem.

From phase I/II report on indicators and baseline from April 2005