http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/
The amount of sulphur dioxide that industries can pump into Ontario’s atmosphere will be dramatically reduced under new regulations set to take effect in 2023, but the environment minister says companies won’t be required to hit those targets.
The province announced last week that it will slash the annual emissions limit from 250 parts per billion to 40 parts per billion. But Environment and Climate Change Minister Chris Ballard says polluting industries, like the mining sector in Sudbury, won’t be punished if it doesn’t follow the new rules.
“We understand there are technological limits in some industries and smelting certainly is one of those where even if they were to double or triple their pollution control investments today, our experts tell us it wouldn’t perceptibly drop the sulphur dioxide emissions,” says Ballard.
“We’re after continuous improvement. They will be in compliance as long as we work together.” The two Sudbury smelters are currently undergoing major renovation work to meet the current sulphur dioxide standards, which both local mining giants have not met in years, getting deadlines continuously extended.
Vale is spending $1 billion to bring its Copper Cliff smelter into compliance and Glencore is putting $300 million into its Falconbridge smelter.
For the rest of this article: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/sulphur-dioxide-emission-limits-sudbury-mining-smelters-1.4590260