Aluminum used in EVs can be traced back to mines and refineries in Brazil, where residents allege the environment is being destroyed and people are getting cancer.
(Bloomberg) — Aluminum used in the new all-electric model of America’s best-selling pickup truck, the Ford F-150, can be traced back from the automaker’s Rouge assembly complex in Dearborn, Michigan, to a parts manufacturer in Pennsylvania, a smelter in Canada and ultimately the rainforests of Brazil.
There, in the heart of the Amazon, rust-colored bauxite is clawed from a massive mine whose owners have long faced allegations of pollution and land appropriation. Near where the Amazon River empties into the Atlantic, a refinery that processes the ore has been accused of sickening thousands of people who live in the surrounding area.
In this episode of Bloomberg Investigates, we visit the communities directly affected by this part of the green transition, places where residents have alleged that mining operations have caused relatives and neighbors to become ill and die. We also meet the people who are fighting back against the companies they hold responsible.
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