The Pacific Northwest’s last primary aluminum smelter is coming down in near silence. Alcoa has begun demolishing the Intalco aluminum smelter at Cherry Point near Ferndale, drawing the curtain on a onetime industrial powerhouse that employed hundreds in potlines and casthouses. Heavy equipment has already taken out major sections of the plant and is moving steadily across the property, as the site heads into what is expected to be a multiyear effort to clean up and monitor decades of industrial pollution.
Alcoa has confirmed that demolition is underway, and a company spokesperson told local media the project is about 45% complete. Building and silo removal is targeted to wrap up by the end of 2026, with soil backfill and regrading potentially stretching into 2027, according to 1280 NewsTalk KIT. The company says it plans to recycle materials where feasible and haul remaining debris offsite as part of the teardown.
State Regulators Open Cleanup To Public Comment
The Washington Department of Ecology has released a draft cleanup action plan for the smelter site and opened a lengthy public comment period that runs through April 15, 2026, with a tentative virtual public hearing scheduled for April 8, the agency says. The proposed Agreed Order would require Intalco Aluminum LLC and other liable parties to complete a remedial investigation and carry out a Demolition Interim Action Work Plan while long-term cleanup options are evaluated, according to the Washington Department of Ecology. Ecology’s event page includes registration details and a project contact for people with technical questions.
Contamination Questions Still Loom Large
State officials and environmental advocates caution that the cleanup is unlikely to be simple. Past smelter operations have left behind PCBs, petroleum products and likely fluorides in soils and groundwater, and the full extent of contamination is still being mapped, reporting by the Washington State Standard finds. “We’re still kind of in the investigative phase,” Ecology’s Smelter and Refinery Unit Supervisor Shingo Yamazaki told reporters, noting that the eventual cleanup strategy will depend heavily on what the remedial studies reveal.
Aluminum Era Winds Down In Washington
Intalco’s dismantling caps a long slide for Northwest aluminum smelting. Alcoa curtailed operations at Intalco in 2020, then announced the permanent closure of its Wenatchee Works facility in December 2021 as part of a broad asset review. Alcoa’s 2021 release framed the Wenatchee decision as one piece of larger portfolio changes. Local reporting has noted that the Ferndale shutdown cost the community hundreds of union jobs, marking a painful turning point for an industry that once anchored the region’s economy.
What Comes After The Smelter?
Attention is already shifting to what might replace the sprawling industrial site. Redevelopment talk has largely focused on energy projects. In 2023, Alcoa signed a deal giving Calgary-based AltaGas rights to develop roughly 1,600 acres at Cherry Point, and the company has floated green hydrogen among the possibilities for the property, although those ideas remain preliminary, according to coverage by Recycling Today. Environmental groups and nearby tribes argue that any future use will need to confront contamination, habitat concerns and community impacts before a long-term plan can move forward.
How Locals Can Weigh In
Community members who want a say in what happens next can sign up for Ecology’s virtual hearing on April 8 and submit written comments through April 15 using the department’s online event page, which provides registration and submission instructions. For technical questions about the ongoing investigation and demolition work, Ecology lists Smelter and Refinery Unit Supervisor Shingo Yamazaki as the project contact.
