Clarabelle Mill and Water Treatment Plants Joint Facility

Transcription

1 December 2013 Toxic Reduction Plan Summaries Clarabelle Mill and Water Treatment Plants Joint Facility Ammonia Carbon disulphide Nitrate ion Nitrogen oxides Particulate Matter (TSP. PM10, PM2.5) Total Reduced Sulphur

2 Toxic Substance Reduction Plan Summaries for Toxic Substances at Clarabelle Mill 1. Facility information NPRI identification number: 1465 NAICS identification number: NAICS Canada code: 21 Legal and trade name of company: Vale Canada Limited Facility Street Address: Clarabelle Mill, 1701 Elm Street, Unit 1, Copper Cliff, Ontario Facility Mailing Address: Clarabelle Mill, Copper Cliff, Ontario Number of full time employee equivalents (2012): 116 UTM x: UTM y: Public Contact: Frank Javor, Manager Environment (Air) Central Engineering Building, Copper Cliff, Ontario Prepared Plan: Vanessa Bonanno Intermediate Analyst Environment (Air) Central Engineering Building, Copper Cliff, Ontario, Highest ranking official: Duncan Ross,

3 Manager Operations, Clarabelle Mill and Central Mills Clarabelle Mill, Copper Cliff, Ontario, Toxic Reduction Planner and certifier: Mary Dubel Licence number: TSRP0118 Company information: Vale Canada Limited Business Number: DUNS number: Street Address: 200 Bay Street, Suite 200, South Tower, P.O. Box 70 Toronto, Ontario M5J 2K2 Parent Company: Companhia Vale Do Rio Doce (Vale) Business Number: DUNS Number: Graça Aranha Avenue, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 2. List of Toxic Substances used at Clarabelle Mill and CAS # of Substance Ammonia, NA-16 Carbon disulphide, Nitrate ion, NA-17 Nitrogen oxides, Particulate Matter (TSP. PM10, PM2.5), NA-M08, NA-M09, NA-M10 Total Reduced Sulphur, NA-M14 3. Toxic Reduction Policy Statement of Intent At Vale s Sudbury Operations, we are committed to sustainable development meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Vale believes in zero harm, to our people, to our workplaces, to the communities in which we operate and to the natural environment. Vale Canada Sudbury Operation s is committed to playing a leadership role in protecting the environment. While, for milling, smelting and refining, this primarily means reducing toxic substances end-of-pipe emissions, wherever feasible, Vale will adopt safer alternatives and

4 technologies to reduce the use and release of toxic substances. Toxic substance reduction will be a continuing effort in our company and new technologically and economically feasible reduction options will be considered if opportunities become available in the future and are in compliance with all federal and provincial regulations. 4. Objectives 4.1. Ammonia and nitrate ion At this time, Vale s Sudbury Operations does not intend to reduce the creation of ammonia and nitrate ion at the Clarabelle Mill. Several reduction options were identified, however, at this time all options were not technically or economically feasible for the operation. Vale will continue its efforts to reduce the release of ammonia and nitrate ion into the environment Carbon disulphide and total reduced sulphur At this time, Vale s Sudbury Operations does not intend to reduce the creation of carbon disulphide and total reduced sulphurs at the Clarabelle Mill. Several reduction options were identified, however, at this time all options were not technically or economically feasible for the operation. Vale will continue its efforts to reduce the creation of carbon disulphide and total reduced sulphurs during the milling process, with the goal of creating a safe and harm-free work environment Particulate matter At this time, Vale s Sudbury Operations does not intend to reduce the creation particulate matter at Clarabelle Mill. Several reduction options were identified, however, at this time all options were not technically and/or economically feasible for the operation. Vale will continue its efforts to mitigate fugitive dust creation at the Central Tailings area Nitrogen oxides Vale s Sudbury Operations does not intend to reduce the creation of nitrogen oxides at Clarabelle Mill. As per Vale s policy, all new and replacement natural gas heaters/burners must meet a low NO x specification as part of Vale s engineering standards. 5. Description of Substances 5.1. Ammonia and nitrate ion Ammonia and nitrate ion are not used at Clarabelle Mill. The Clarabelle Mill facility includes a large Central Tailings area, which receives various waste and wastewater inputs for Vale Sudbury Mines and surface plants. The effluent that is collected in the tailings area is treated by the Copper Cliff Wastewater Treatment Plant before discharge into the environment. The Nolin Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant is also located within the Clarabelle Mill facility boundary, and treats surface water runoff from Vale s property. Ammonia and nitrate ion are created as a by-product from explosive use at the Sudbury Mines, sewage waste disposal, sewage effluent treatment, and surface run-off (run-off would include ammonia and nitrate ion found in animal excrement). A portion of the ammonia

5 discharged into the tailings area comes from the use of ammonia at the Copper Cliff Nickel refinery, used as a reagent to purify process gas Carbon disulphide and total reduced sulphur Carbon disulphide and total reduced sulphurs are created from the decomposition of Potassium Amyl Xanthate (PAX), a reagent used at Clarabelle Mill. It is the goal of the milling process to remove the unwanted components of the ore to produce a valuable concentrate product, in the case of Vale s Clarabelle operation, nickel and copper concentrate. The use of this reagent is necessary to achieve this goal. Potassium Amyl Xanthate (PAX) is the most powerful and most commonly employed collector for chalcopyrite applications and is the current collector employed at Clarabelle Mill Particulate matter It is the goal of the milling, smelting and refining process to remove unwanted impurities to produce a valuable base metal product. Particulate matter is created through the handling of feed material throughout the milling process, from grinding to flotation. Particulate matter is also created through wind erosion of the tailings area that is located at the Clarabelle Mill facility. Particulate matter is defined as microscopic solid and liquid particles that remain suspended in the air. Total Particulate matter, also known as TSP or TPM, is any airborne particulate matter with a diameter less than 100 microns. PM10 and PM2.5 are particle size fractions of the total particulate matter produced and emitted. PM10 dust particles are approximately 10 micrometers in size or less and PM2.5 are particle size of approximately 2.5 micrometers or less Nitrogen oxides Nitrogen oxides (NO x ) are created from the combustion of natural gas in burners/heaters used to heat the building and/or process equipment. NO x is created through the thermal dissociation and subsequent reaction of nitrogen (N 2 ) and oxygen (O 2 ) molecules in the combustion air. 6. Rationale as to Why No Reduction Options Were Selected 6.1. Ammonia and nitrate ion Even though several reduction options were identified for ammonia and nitrate ion creation, at this time, these options were not selected for implementation. The options presented did not meet the technical or economic feasibility criteria established by the facility Carbon disulphide and total reduced sulphurs Even though several reduction options were identified for carbon disulphide and total reduce sulphur creation, at this time, these options were not selected for implementation. The options presented did not meet the technical or economic feasibility criteria established by the facility.

6 6.3. Particulate matter Even though several reduction options were identified for particulate matter creation, at this time, these options were not selected for implementation. The options presented did not meet the technical or economic feasibility criteria established by the facility Nitrogen oxides As part of Vale s policy of zero harm, Vale s Sudbury Operations intends to reduce the creation of nitrogen oxides at Clarabelle Mill. This strategy was developed prior to TRA legislation. In , a selection of natural gas combustion heaters was replaced with low NO x burners in the Clarabelle Mill building. As per Vale s policy, all new and replacement natural gas heaters/burners must meet a low NO x specification as part of Vale s engineering standards. 8. Additional Information Vale has incorporated the concept of sustainability into the mining, milling, smelting and refining practices in Ontario, endeavoring to achieve zero harm to our people, to our workplaces and to the natural environment. For the Base Metals Industry, this is primarily accomplished through pollution control of end-of-pipe emissions. For the Sudbury Operations, past pollution control projects have reduced property source fugitive air emissions and reduced process air emissions, which included the construction of new storage handling facilities for feed material, re-vegetation of property boundary areas, and the installation of new baghouses and electrostatic precipitators to capture dust emissions. The new CORe (Challenging Ore Recovery) project at the Mill is expected to result in increased metals extractions, while removing impurities, from the concentrate product. This will have a positive effect on downstream facilities in Sudbury with less impurities being carried through the process. Vale is undertaking its Clean AER (Atmospheric Emissions Reduction) project to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions by a further 70%, to significantly reduce particulate and metal emissions and improve local air quality. These projects will ensure Vale s Sudbury Operations will continue to contribute decades of employment, economic growth and community support. 9. Plan Summary Statement This plan summary is an accurate synopsis of the content of the toxic substance reduction plan for ammonia, carbon disulphuide, nitrate ion, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter (TSP, PM 10, PM 2.5 ) and total reduced sulphur creation at Clarabelle Mill and the Copper Cliff Waste Water Treatment Plant, Sudbury Operations, prepared for Vale Canada Limited, dated December The content of the summary is up to date and reflects the current version of the toxic substance reduction plan.

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