Quebec taxpayers will have to dip into their pockets to finance a $500 million mega-project to help the Horn smelter meet its toxic arsenic emissions target of 15 ng/m.3.
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Photo Archives, Oliver Bourke
Glencore, the 135,000-employee Anglo-Swiss multinational, maintains that the Horne Foundry will be one of the world’s least polluting copper smelters after the $500 million job completion announced Thursday.
Officials at the factory, owned by multinational Glencore, have confirmed they have discussed the CAQ with the government, while declining to quantify the amount of assistance requested.
Claude Belanger, Glencore’s head of copper operations in North America, said, “There are no figures to refer to at this stage.
record profits
The company made a record $19 billion in its first half and will pay out more than $4 billion to its shareholders. Despite a favorable financial situation, the leader believes that Quebec taxpayers will still have to pay for part of the work.
“Like any other big company, when you make a big investment like this, there are always discussions with the government,” he said.
In recent months, the Economy Minister, Pierre Fitzgibbon, and the Prime Minister, François Legault, have both opened the door to public assistance for the company.
In 1987, during Noranda, the company received a government-aided, interest-free loan, but in 1991, the Bourassa government decided to wipe the slate clean, meaning $36 million.
- Listen to Alexandre Dubé’s interview with Émile Lesard-Therrien, Solidarity MP for Rouyn-Noranda-Témiscamingue on QUB Radio:
New goals and plans
With these new investments, Horn Foundry hopes to meet the Ministry of Environment’s ceiling of 15 ng/m.3Recommendation of Public Health.
But the company still has no plans to meet the Quebec standard of 3 ng/m3It was requested by many stakeholders and citizens of Notre-Dame County.
“The investments we are planning will make the Horn smelter one of the lowest emission copper smelters in the world,” said Mr. Belanger said.
To do this, the company will build a new part of the factory and review the copper transformation processes, a project called PENIX.
The plant will have a new system to capture dust and fugitive emissions and set up a curtain zone to protect the Notre-Dame district.
Glencore will also make interim improvements to gradually reduce its emissions. Thus, it plans to reach a limit of 65 ng/m3 Arsenic in the air the following year, then 45 ng/m3 2024 to 2026 to have 15 ng/m emissions3 In 2027.
Through this work, the company also maintains that 97% of Rouen-Noranda’s urban periphery has arsenic levels of 7 ng/m.3 or less and 84% of urban peripheries have arsenic levels of 3 ng/m3.
