Alcoa receives award

Alcoa Foundation, the charitable arm of Pittsburgh, Pa.-based Alcoa, one of the world’s largest aluminum refiners, has received an award from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC).

TDEC recognized Alcoa for its efforts in preserving Tennessee’s natural environment through grants, including a large one given earlier this year to Great Smoky Mountain Institute at Tremont, Tenn., an environmental education centre.

Alcoa has contributed to other local environmental organizations, including Ijams Nature Center, an 80-acre park in Knoxville, Tenn., and the Little River Watershed Association in Franklin, N.C.

In 2001, Alcoa Foundation made US$21.3 million in grants around the world. Since its inception in 1952, the foundation has donated US$339 million. Tennessee also is home to Alcoa’s rigid packaging and U.S. primary metals divisions.