US mining company Alcoa hit with ‘unprecedented’ $55m penalty for illegal clearing of WA jarrah forests
The Guardian World
by Lisa Coxand Dan Jervis-BardyFebruary 18, 2026
Environment minister says Alcoa cleared known habitat of protected species to enable bauxite mining
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The environment minister, Murray Watt, has handed a $55m penalty to the US mining giant Alcoa for unlawful land clearing for bauxite mining in Western Australia’s northern jarrah forests, south of Perth.
As Watt announced the “unprecedented” remediation order, he said he had also granted the company an exemption to clear further habitat for 18 months while the government considered a proposal for an extension of the company’s mining operations to 2045.
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Originally published on The Guardian World on 2/18/2026