Comalco Efforts on Environment Pay Off

Rio Tinto PLC
21 March 2000

The following was released to the Australian Stock Exchange by
Comalco today.


Comalco Efforts on Environment Pay Off
                               
Comalco today released its 1999 Health, Safety, Environment and
Communities Report.  It is the first comprehensive report of
this nature prepared by Comalco and provides significantly more
information than previously provided in the Annual Report.

On releasing the report, Comalco Chief Executive, Terry Palmer,
said, 'Every injury, every case of occupational illness, every
safety incident and every environmental incident is
preventable.'

'Policies on safety, environment, health and community
relationships are now closely integrated with the core
activities of mining, refining and smelting. '

'This report responds to increased expectation in the community
about the information that companies provide on their
performance in the areas of health, safety, the environment and
communities. '

Mr Palmer continued, 'I believe that our current health,
safety, environment and communities performance is good, but
the information contained in this report shows that we still
have room for improvement and we have set ourselves challenging
targets against which we expect to be judged.'

Highlights of the report include:

ENVIRONMENT
Comalco has in place a range of programs and systems for
rehabilitating land, reducing air emissions, reducing carbon
and energy consumption, and controlling water usage and
discharges and managing solid wastes.

Comalco had about 5,000 hectares of land in use at the end of
December, 1999.  Cumulatively, at that date, it had
rehabilitated 7,000 hectares.  In 1999, total process water
discharge was 988 megalitres, a 26.5% decrease in total process
water discharge on 1998, and a 24.4% decrease in process water
discharge per tonne of aluminium produced. Fluoride emissions
of 861 tonnes in 1999 represented a 20% reduction on 1998 total
emissions and 23% reduction in fluoride emissions per tonne of
aluminium produced.


Australian Greenhouse Challenge Program

Comalco participates in the Australian Greenhouse Office's
Greenhouse Challenge Program, which commits the company to
identifying and completing specific projects to reduce
emissions of greenhouse gases or to improve energy efficiency
and intensity.

In 1999, 34 projects were reported to reduce greenhouse
emissions, improve energy efficiency or both, at a total cost
of A$1.7 million.  These projects reduced greenhouse gas
emissions by 339,919 tonnes of CO2 equivalents.


New Zealand Voluntary Emissions Reduction Agreement

The New Zealand Government runs a similar program to the
Australian Greenhouse Challenge Program.  In 1995, Comalco was
one of the first companies to sign a voluntary emissions
reduction agreement under the program.  Comalco is committed
to reducing CO2 emissions per tonne of aluminium by 4% below
1990 levels by the end of the year 2000.

Total greenhouse gas emissions from the Tiwai Point Smelter
are 24% below 1990.

Reductions in greenhouse gases from 1990-1999 are set out in
the table below.

                Total           Reduction per   % Reduction
                reduction (t)   tonne of        per tonne of
                                output (t)      output
Boyne Island                        
smelter         66,908              2.222            56.6
Bell Bay                            
smelter         656,754             5.643            73.6
Tiwai Point                         
smelter         202,668             1.277            40.8
Weipa Mine                          
                89,303              0.008            34.5

SAFETY
Comalco intends to reduce lost time injuries by at least 50%
by 30 June, 2000 compared to 30 June, 1999.  A further 50%
reduction is targeted by 30 June, 2001 and further reductions
in subsequent years of 30% per annum.

National Occupational Safety Association (NOSA) audit ratings
for Comalco sites indicate that while Bell Bay and Boyne
Island smelters achieved safety effort ratings of 84.5% and
89.3% respectively, they were not awarded stars due to a
disabling frequency rate greater than 5.  Tiwai Point smelter
in New Zealand achieved a 4 star rating, Weipa bauxite mine a
2 star rating and Brisbane corporate office a 5 star rating.

Comalco has introduced DuPont's STOP (Safety Training
Observation Program)  system at all of its operations, which
is based on the deliberate, scheduled process of observing
people doing work.

HEALTH
Strains are the largest single cause of lost time or
restricted work days in mining and smelting operations.  Job
safety observations, periodic health check and pre-employment
screening are all measures taken to reduce the incidence
and/or impact of these injuries.

COMMUNITIES
Comalco is involved in a number of sponsorship activities
including:

The Comalco Green & Healthy School Program is a Queensland
wide education package designed to encourage schools to adopt
a healthy and environmentally aware approach to all aspects of
their schools.  The Program is jointly run with the Keep
Australia Beautiful Council.

The Kakapo Recovery Program in New Zealand aims to protect one
of the world's unique species of parrot from extinction.  The
Program is a joint initiative between Comalco New Zealand, the
Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society and the New Zealand
Department of Conservation.  When the Program was launched in
1990, only 40 Kakapo were alive; their numbers had increased
to 62 at the end of 1999.

Comalco is also a sponsor of the 100% In Control Weipa Croc
Eisteddfod.  It is a 2 day festival comprising music, sport
and stories which provides an opportunity for students in Cape
York and the Torres Strait Islands to come together and
participate in their own event.

For further information, please contact:

Media Relations                    Investor Relations
John Hughes                        Peter Jarvis
+ 44 207 753 2331                  + 44 207 753 2401

Website: www.riotinto.com