Teck Trail is reminding locals that maintenance work will soon be underway at the smelter.
Work will focus on the KIVCET radiant boiler, which has been in use since 1997 and requires replacement.
Work is expected to begin in April and run until early June.
The company says several other projects and maintenance jobs in the lead smelter will also be carried out during this time.
Increased activity will be on site leading up to and during the maintenance work, including the use of a large crane which may be visible from town.
As well, there is a potential for increased noise and traffic entering the plant.
As far as operations, the Trail Times asked the company if ambient emissions will be affected when the KIVCET boiler is shutdown.
“During the boiler replacement the Lead circuit will be shut down and the Zinc circuit will continue to operate normally,” Jayne Garry, Community Relations Leader, replied.
“There will not be any additional emissions to air because of this work.”
Approximately 500 contract employees will be onsite to supplement Trail Operations’ employees in executing the work.
“The maintenance work reflects an investment in asset renewal, integral to the reliable long-term performance of Trail Operations,” Thompson Hickey, general manager, Trail Operations, said in a recent release.
“As in all of our work at Trail Operations, our focus will be on the health and safety of employees, contractors and communities.”
Questions?
Call the community and environment feedback line, at 250.364.4817.
Through the introduction of the KIVCET smelter in 1997 and subsequent operations improvements, Teck reports that emissions to air and water have been reduced upwards of 95 per cent.
Air quality in the Trail area is consistently monitored, as regular monitoring helps identify significant emissions sources, track the effectiveness of emissions and dust control efforts, and track progress on air quality goals.
Near real-time data is transmitted to Teck Trail Operations’ process control systems so actions can be taken if levels in community air rise, such as during a temperature inversion or during periods of higher emissions.
Measures of lead, arsenic and other particles in the air are taken at two testing locations in the Lower Columbia: Butler Park and Birchbank. Readings are taken over 24-hour periods.
Every hour, analyzers measure metals concentrations at Butler Park and Duncan Flats and transmit readings directly to Trail Operations.
Dustfall measurements are collected on a monthly basis at Birchbank, downtown Trail, Columbia Avenue, Columbia Gardens, Tadanac, Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital, Glenmerry, Oasis, Stoney Creek, Waneta and Warfield. These measurements help understand changes in dust settling in the community over time.
This information is collected and analyzed by Teck’s environment staff and reported to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy as well as the Trail Area Health & Environment Committee (THEC).
THEC meetings are open to the public, occur five times per year, and include an air quality report with the most current data available.
Learn more at: thep.ca.
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