Don C. Brunell: No Requiem for Northwest Aluminum

Alcoa’s announcement that it is shutting down our state’s last two aluminum smelters may be a long awaited requiem for some, but there are other factors we should consider before burying it.

First, the Seattle Times reports the decision will cost 1,500 family-wage jobs with good benefits. And even though the trend has not been good for our aluminum industry, we need to look for opportunities to resurrect it.

In 2000, Seattle economist Dick Conway found the five largest smelters in Washington employed more than 7,500 people and generated $2.6 billion in revenue. The average salary for aluminum...