ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER: FALCONBRIDGE AND THE ENVIRONMENT

It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and A.J. Casson’s painting entitled “The Entrance to Baie Fine” has come to speak volumes about Falconbridge’s commitment to environmental protection. In this 1947 watercolour, the Group of Seven artist depicted the sunny, hummocky entrance to Baie Fine, in the North Channel of Georgian Bay, just east of Manitoulin Island and near Killarney Provincial Park. In the foreground is a silica-rich mountain, known today as Casson Peak, which, until recently, faced the prospect of being mined out by Falconbridge for glass manufacturing.

But it was not to be.

In 1987 a group of citizens formed the North Channel Preservation Society to halt the silica project, arguing that mining would devastate the scenic landscape which Casson’s painting had come to symbolize. Casson himself allowed the group to sell a limited number of reproductions of his painting in order to raise financing. Last June, much to everyone’s surprise and completely without precedent in the industry, Falconbridge surrendered without compensation its silica mining interests in the area. It did so on the condition that the Ontario government withdraw the area from all future claim-staking and prospecting.

While it would be easy to suggest that the company simply succumbed to public pressure, the fact remains that Indusmin, the Falconbridge division that held the claim, was within its rights and all provincial regulations. Falconbridge had also spent $175,000 exploring in the area.

Said company president Alex Balogh at the time: “Surrendering our mining claims in Baie Fine is an expression of Falconbridge’s and all of our employees’ concern for our natural environment and the unique value of our northern wilderness.”

Another recent sign that the company is taking its environmental responsibilities seriously is the appointment, in July, of Michael Amsden to the new position of vice-president environmental services. Formerly vice-president and general manager in charge of Falco’s Kidd Creek mine, Amsden is an ideal choice. The appointment, said Balogh, “reflects Falconbridge’s commitment to environmental issues and recognizes Mike’s success in running the cleanest smelter in North America.” Amsden, who has also assumed corporate responsibility for safety, health and hygiene, had been with Kidd Creek for all of its 25 years.

The greatest environmental challenge Amsden faces is the continual reduction of sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions at the Sudbury operations. So it was with some pride that the company reported in March that it is able to meet the Ontario government’s “Countdown Acid Rain” goal a full three years ahead of schedule. The government’s 1994 limit for SO2 emissions at the Sudbury smelter is 100 kilotonnes per year, but only 70 kilotonnes were released in 1990. That’s less than half the government’s current allowable limit of 154 kilotonnes. Part of the reduction was achieved by lower metal output from the smelter, which produced 34 kilotonnes of nickel last year.

Meeting the government’s target while operating at full production is a challenge that is being met head-on.

“Even operating at 40 kilotonnes of nickel per year, we are now confident that we can keep SO2 emissions under 100 kilotonnes per year,” Amsden said.

Significant Reductions

A new smelter and acid plant installed in 1978, along with process improvements through the 1980s, contributed to reducing the tonnes of SO2 emitted per tonne of nickel produced to 1.9 in 1990, down from 6.5 in 1975. Since the early 1970s, Falconbridge has spent about $300 million to reduce SO2 emissions. And during the next three years, it will invest $25 million in the smelter, the mill and research activities to find ways to reduce emissions further.

In late 1989, Kidd Creek installed a sulphur dioxide telemetry system for its metallurgical complex. The system was fully operational by mid-1990 with an operating protocol in place by year-end. Since the beginning of 1991, regulatory compliance has been maintained close to 100%.

A water telemetry network was added in 1990 to monitor tailings pond effluent flow, ph and suspended solids. At present, the system provides a monitoring capability for the Environmental Services personnel. Instrumentation is being installed to enable the operators to use this information to control the system.

PCB Disposal

The Kidd Creek division has also turned its attention to the safe disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs). In 1989, about 250,000 litres of pcb-contaminated mineral oil at the Kidd Creek metallurgical site were treated to eliminate the toxins.

Among the company’s more general initiatives is a revision of the environmental policy developed several years ago. As with the old policy, the revised version will incorporate the concept of “sustainable development,” but it will also reflect emerging environmental issues such as “product stewardship.” By stewardship is meant the monitoring of the entire life cycle of Falconbridge’s products. For example, the company would advise customers as to any environmental impact of nickel in its steel products. Product stewardship will encompass a variety of environmental concerns, including waste disposal, landfill, recycling, etc. The new policy will also include codes of practice to be followed by Falconbridge employees; by comparison, the previous policy was essentially a statement of principles.

The company is also putting together an environmental report, to be updated every two years or so, which promises to be more than glossy propoganda. Colleen Wilkinson, Falconbridge’s public affairs director, stressed that the report will consist of both bad and good environmental news.

“It will be an educational look at the company’s performance on the environment,” she explained. “What we are trying to do is explain to people what the environmental issues are, how we are addressing the problems, and what challenges we still have to meet.