Lafarge Cement Plant

Spring 2022 -  Back in 2019, BVCAS withdrew our statement of concern for Lafarge’s Low Carbon Fuel project on the promise from Lafarge that they would do some sort of meaningful continuous improvement as part of their permit renewal.  As of spring 2022, we are still waiting to see what continuous imrpovment is proposed. In addition, we have also formally requested that Lafarge’s renewal be modified such that coal is no longer used as a day-to-day fuel source.  Lafarge has concerns with completely removing coal in the event of a natural gas disruption so, as a compromise, BVCAS has suggested that coal could only be used in the event of a natural gas pipeline failure.

Over the last year or so, BVCAS has encouraged Lafarge to consider Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) for Exshaw.  As of the last meetings with Lafarge, we have learned that they are now looking at CCS more seriously and they acknowledge that the cement industry must do CCS as part of the solution to net zero by 2050.  This is good news. 

We continue to meet with Lafarge on a regular basis through their Community Advisory Panel (CAP).  We appreciate that Lafarge continues to reach out to community members and groups and we feel participating in CAP is a worthwhile effort given that Lafarge Exshaw is ranking the 49^nd largest industrial emitter in Canada while burning natural gas (emissions data from the Canadian government's GHG reporting program).  If Lafarge were to burn coal, we estimate that the Exshaw plant would be the 25^th largest industrial emitter. (2019 numbers)

Baymag

Winter 2020 - Baymag has made an application to expand their plant by about 25%.  BVCAS submitted a formal Statement of Concern and had subsequent meetings with Baymag to try to address the following:  Baymag is not willing to demonstrate any effort to reduce or offset the GHG's from the expansion; Baymag has not proposed any measureable signficant 'continuous improvment' over current operations; Baymag is still predicting exceedance of certain air quality guidelines (albeit those exceedances are caused by all industrial activities) and Baymag has not accounted for air emissions from the TransCanada highway or the railway.  Unfortunately, we have not been able resolve these issues and have not withdrawn our Statement of Concern.  Spring 2020 Update - Alberta Envrionmental has approved the Baymag expansion with many of our concerns still outstanding.  Standby for follow-up action.

Baymag Exshaw is the 250^th largest emitter according to the Canadian government's GHG reporting program. (2019 numbers)

Graymont

Spring 2022 -  As part of Graymont’s project approval for a their Ore Sorter Project a few years ago, Graymont committed to replacing the wet scrubber on Kiln 1 with a new baghouse along with installing a continuous PM monitor and some smaller baghouses with their upcoming permit renewal.  The new baghouse was a condition of BVCAS removing our statement of concern for the Ore Sorter project. We will review their permit renewal application once received with regard to modeled excedances and CO2 emissions.

Graymont Exshaw is the 255^th largest emitter according to the Canadian government's GHG reporting program. (2019 numbers)