Aerial View of Río Blanco

A new aluminum smelter is planned to be built in Patagonia. The proposed smelter will produce approximately 440,000 tonnes of aluminum ingots a year. But it will pump more than 1.5 million tonnes of gaseous and solid waste into the atmosphere as a result, and require three hydroelectric plants and six new dams to power the energy draining project. Besides the immediate environmental impact, the Salmon and Trout Producers Association and local fishermen have also voiced their concerns about the plant's impact on the fishing industry. Patagonia is also a popular tourist destination, and the smelter plans are also putting the future of this industry at stake. About 10000 hectares of primary forest will be flooded if the Alumysa project is accepted.