Bow Valley Clean Air Society 

Lafarge Cement Plant

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April 25, 2013 - Lafarge has indicated that they are still on track to meet all of the air emission obligations in their Alberta Environmental permit to operate.  Many of the reductions begin in May 2014.  The Kiln 6 start-up (and Kiln 4 shutdown) is still on track for May 2015.  The shutdown of Kiln 4 should result in a significant drop in emissions. 

Fall 2016 -  Lafarge completed their cement plant expansion in the summer/fall.  With the start-up of Kiln 6 (with modern flue gas scrubbing equipment) and the shutdown of Kiln 4, the overall Sulphur Oxides (SOx), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and particulate emissions (e.g. dust) from the plant are calculated to be significantly reduced.  We will be working with Lafarge to better understand whether the calculated reductions have been realized. 

Lafarge has also created a “Project Advisory Committee” which includes BVCAS along with other environmental groups, researchers, government and municipality representatives.  The Project Advisory Committee is tasked with reviewing low carbon fuel alternatives for plant.   We feel that this is a worthwhile effort for BVCAS to commit to as the Lafarge Exshaw plant is estimated to be the 25^th largest greenhouse gas emitter in Canada and Lafarge as a company is estimated to be the 11^th largest in Canada (greenhouse gas numbers from “http://www.ec.gc.ca/ges-ghg/donnees-data/index.cfm?do=results&lang=en&year=2013” with the 2013 Lafarge emission data over-written with CO2 emission data from Lafarge’s plant expansion application). 

Baymag

April 25, 2013 - Bow Valley Clean Air Society submitted a list of concerns to Alberta Environment with regard to Baymag’s plans to install a new mill.  Although BVCAS is not considered a valid Stakehold of Concern, Alberta Environment indicated that they had raised similar concerns which were being addressed by Baymag.

Fall 2016 – Baymag submitted an application for a 10 year renewal of its operating permit.  We have not yet seen the application as Baymag is unwilling to share it with us until Alberta Environment has deemed the application to be “complete”.  We expect to see the application in early 2017. 

Graymont

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June 12, 2012 -  Update on the expansion project is:                                                        Graymont has the baghouse on their Kiln 2 fully operational. They presented numbers that would show that the emissions from the baghouse on Kiln 2 are significantly less than from the old wet scrubber on Kiln 1. Graymont is gathering ambient air quality data from the continuous ambient monitor unit, but, according to Graymont, it is too early to see the improvements from the newly installed baghouse.

Fall 2016 -   Early in 2016, BVCAS submitted a formal "statement of concern" in regards to Graymont’s application for an Ore Sorter Project.  The ore sorter project will result in a slight increase in emissions of particulates.  BVCAS’s position was that (1) any increase, even small, is not consistent with Alberta Environment’s continuous improvement policy and (2) if the emissions increase are so small, surely Graymont can do something equally as small to ensure that the emissions do not increase.  In follow-up meetings with Graymont, Graymont committed to studying and then implementing best available technology (likely a filter baghouse or better) for dust control on Kiln 1 (Kiln 2 already has a baghouse).  As a result of this commitment and after confirming that this commitment had been written into the draft approval for the project, BVCAS removed our "statement of concern."