MARSTON, Mo. -- Renew Missouri shared a statement in response to the announcement of the Magnitude 7 Metals plant curtailment which is taking effect in the next few days.
The announcement of the Magnitude 7 Metals Aluminum Smelter came on Wednesday, January 24, which employs roughly 450 Union workers, Industrious Labs stated.
This plant is located in the southern portion of New Madrid County near Marston and is reportedly one of only five remaining primary aluminum smelters in the United States.
Industrious Labs stated this smelter plant represents roughly 20% of all of the primary production capacity nationwide and is the second-largest plant by capacity.
The statement detailed how Magnitude 7 Metals wrote in a letter to employees the facility was "abnormally cold" and Industrious Labs responded in the statement with saying this is a "distraction from the reality that this smelter is in need of substantial upgrades to modernize their operations. Federal investments in primary aluminum producers like Magnitude 7 Metals are life-saving—both by reducing polluting chemicals emitted from these facilities and by saving jobs."
Below is a response from Industrious Labs and partners on the plant's announcement...
“This is devastating news for Missouri and the Marston community. The smelter provided a lifeline to the entire community, providing both good Union jobs and taxes to the local economy. Its loss cannot be overstated in a region with few employers. This was avoidable. For too long, the smelter has been dependent on highly-polluting and increasingly expensive dirty energy in spite of our efforts to encourage the plant owners to take advantage of federal funding for on-site clean energy. Missouri’s dependence on fossil fuels is costing families in more ways than one and the company’s failure to seek lower cost energy solutions like wind or solar made the plant uncompetitive.� - James Owen, Executive Director of Renew Missouri stated.
“A clean, domestic supply of aluminum is vital for America’s reindustrialization and our national security. Losing Magnitude 7 Metals only deepens the crisis for the American aluminum industry. At a moment of heightened global insecurity, the declining supply of domestic primary production threatens our national military supply chains and further jeopardizes our national readiness. We can restore the aluminum industry and must act urgently, or risk becoming even more dependent on aluminum from foreign entities of concern.� - Joe Quinn, Vice President of Strategic Industrial Materials, THE SAFE FOUNDATION
"The announced curtailment of this site is a clear call for the need for low cost clean energy in America's heartland. Aluminum is critical to our infrastructure and nation, and this facility is critical to the communities of the Missouri Bootheel. For years, this energy intensive industry has been tied to increasingly expensive and dirty coal. But we can be leaders in the production of clean aluminum. We are calling for the Biden Administration to use the tools of the Inflation Reduction Act to help this facility and our few remaining aluminum smelters to transition to stable, low-cost clean energy, and keep jobs thriving in rural America.� - Ben Jealous, Executive Director, Sierra Club
“This is an all-hands-on-deck moment for the Biden Administration. We cannot stand by and let the aluminum industry collapse. Today’s announcement is yet another blow to the fragile primary aluminum industry in the United States and a clear signal that the Biden Administration must act swiftly to secure renewable affordable energy to retain this essential material for America’s economy. Without federal investments in the primary aluminum industry, local communities suffer on two fronts: poor air quality and loss of economic mobility. Only access to cheap, abundant clean electricity can stabilize the economics of the primary aluminum industry and put it back on a path to stability.� - Annie Sartor, Aluminum Campaign Director, Industrious Labs
For the full statement, .
