The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Flin Flon City Council is prepared to lend its voice to lobbying efforts aimed at saving the HBMS smelter from a likely closure. HBMS President and CEO Peter Jones recently announced that a proposed federal limit on sulfur dioxide emissions would, if implemented, "more than likely" result in the closure of the smelter in 2008. Jones further noted that the company is involved with government lobbyinng to keep the smelter active. At Tuesday's city council meeting, Mayor Dennis Ballard said he's already spoken to HBMS officials about joining those efforts. "They're saying, 'We'll let you know when we need you.' That's what they're saying at this point," said the mayor. Mayor Ballard said HBMS feels the provincial government is "lobbying very strongly on their behalf" and added that the city council in Thompson, also home to a smelter, may become involved at some point. A closure of the Flin Flon smelter, where copper is treated and the resulting sulfur dioxide discharged out the smoke stack, would impact in the neighbourhood of 300 employees ? about 22 per cent of the current HBMS workforce. Environment Canada is proposing that Canadian smelters voluntarily reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by 2008, a likely precursor to an even lower rate that would be legally binding by 2015. If the proposal, now under public review, is approved, the government would expect ? but not legally require ? companies to meet the 2008 levels. But it's likely that a legally-binding sulfur standard, one much lower than the 2008 level, would be in place for 2015. In essence, the 2008 proposal serves as a "heads up," as one Environment Canada spokesman put it. The sulfur emission limit would differ from company to company. For HBMS, the proposed target for 2008 is a maximum of 166,000 tonnes per year; for 2015, the number shrinks to 16,000. The proposal targets not only sulfur dioxide, but also emissions of particulate matter, mercury and other pollutants, Finlay noted. Smelters must currently comply with provincial guidelines, as there is not yet a federal regulation for the operations. For more information on the proposal, or to offer your input, log onto www.ec.gc.ca/nopp/
