MONTREAL, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Rio Tinto Alcan has successfully completed its rehabilitation of the Pramont industrial residue disposal site in the Valais region, which is now integrated into a regional framework for environmental protection on the left bank of the Rhone River between Sierre and Granges, Switzerland.

'This rehabilitation is the outcome of eight years of hard work and regional collaboration, of which we are very proud to have been a part' said Francois Veuthey, Rio Tinto Alcan's director of the Valais industrial rehabilitation and redeployment project. 'This project is also a concrete example of our company's commitment to sustainable development.'

Pramont was formerly used as an aluminium industry disposal site, with residual material from electrolytic cells being stored there for a number of years. Controls now show a substantial overall improvement in the quality of downstream groundwater and that new ecosystems are developing on the Pramont site.

The project involved collaboration between Rio Tinto Alcan and local, cantonal and federal authorities as well as Greenpeace and WWF, global conservation organisations. The rehabilitation project included three other regional landfills in addition to environmental work at the Pramont site and cost approximately 20 million Swiss francs ((euro)12.5 million or US$18.25 million).

About Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group headquartered in the UK, combining Rio Tinto plc, a London and NYSE listed company, and Rio Tinto Limited, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Rio Tinto's business is finding, mining, and processing mineral resources. Major products are aluminium, copper, diamonds, energy (coal and uranium), gold, industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide, salt, talc) and iron ore. Activities span the world but are strongly represented in Australia and North America with significant businesses in South America, Asia, Europe and southern Africa.

SOURCE RIO TINTO ALCAN - EN