Alumina producer Alteo's environmental concerns in Bouches-du-Rhône: A critical analysis
Alteo, a globally recognised alumina and aluminium producer, is facing renewed scrutiny as environmental groups and residents in France's Bouches-du-Rhône department accuse the company of persistently discharging hazardous effluent into the Mediterranean Sea. Despite prior legal interventions to curb their waste disposal practices, Alteo's alleged contamination of the Calanques National Park near Marseille continues to raise environmental and public health concerns.
Alteo, renowned for its prominence in alumina production, has come under the spotlight due to ongoing environmental controversies surrounding its manufacturing facility in Gardanne. The company has faced indictments and a judicial investigation over the past four years for endangering lives through the discharge of toxic red mud into the Rhone estuary and, more recently, liquid effluent into the Calanques National Park.
