This article came from Northern Life, Sudbury’s biweekly newspaper.
Vale has been slapped with a $150,000 fine after an incident where oleum, or fuming sulphuric acid, was spilled at the Copper Cliff Smelter nearly two years ago. The spill occurred when employees were pumping oleum into rail cars on July 1, 2010 — towards the end of the nearly year-long labour dispute between Vale and Steelworkers Local 6500 members.
A press release issued by the company at the time stated that a “noticable plume of oleum was released into the environment and escaped off property before dissipating over the Kelly Lake area.”
Kate Jordan, a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Environment, said Vale was fined by the ministry March 13 because it didn’t report the spill in a timely manner.
“Under the environmental protection act we had a requirement that any company or individual who has a spill that has the potential to cause an adverse effect has to report that forthwith,” she said.
“In this case, it was found that Vale did not [do that], and that’s what Vale was convicted of.”
Jordan said members of the community actually informed the ministry of the spill before they heard from Vale. Alarms had sounded in Copper Cliff, notifying residents they should stay indoors.
Vale spokesperson Angie Robson said in an email that the company will ensure the ministry is notifed in a more timely manner if another such incident should happen.
“The incident took place on July 1, a national holiday, and many people were on holidays,” she said.
“The team’s first priority was containing the spill, protecting our employees and the nearby community, and notifying the community as part of our emergency response patrol. The ministry was notified in just over an hour. However, they deemed it was not quickly enough.”