Demolition of last Northwest aluminum smelter signals end of an industrial era

Demolition of last Northwest aluminum smelter signals end of an industrial era

Alcoa idled the Intalco aluminum smelter near Ferndale and laid off 700 workers in 2020. A plan by a Canadian company to redevelop the sprawling site to produce green hydrogen is in a holding pattern. (Photo by Tom Banse)This article was first published by Salish Current. Aluminum maker Alcoa has started to demolish its sprawling Intalco smelter west of Ferndale. The multiyear demolition and cleanup project snuffs out any lingering hopes of revi…