ArcelorMittal Dofasco move aimed at solving emissions problem
A move by ArcelorMittal Dofasco to try to permanently fix an emission problem that has been a source of anger in nearby neighbourhoods is great news, says a local environmentalist.
Jochen Bezner, a Crown Point neighbourhood resident and a member of the Coalition Against Pollution Hamilton, says the action being taken by ArcelorMittal highlights the importance of demanding “better environmental protections from large emitters in Hamilton.”
Bezner, also a member of the ArcelorMittal Dofasco Community Liaison Committee, was part of a committee meeting at the company offices Thursday evening where the company outlined its project to eliminate contentious black cloud particulate emissions, caused by dumping excess hot iron into outdoor pits or “beds” in the ground, in a process called “coffining”.
Tom Kuhl, the company’s general manager of primary manufacturing technology, told the committee ArcelorMittal is moving the process indoors.
The $7-million project involves converting one of the company’s current buildings — the No. 1 melt shop — into one that can accept the hot metal and carry out the process inside, Kuhl said.
The work includes relocating the scrap handling currently done in the building to an outside location.
It also requires creating rail tracks into and inside the building so the large metal bins transporting the hot metal can get in and dump their load into new coffin beds.
Last year, residents were outraged by a series of giant dark plumes reported over the steelmaker’s facilities caused by the coffining.
The emissions included an incident over last Thanksgiving weekend.
Kuhl said the black cloud emissions were caused by an interaction with weather humidity and moisture when the hot metal was poured outside into coffin beds situation outdoors.
“Now we can control it because
it’s inside,” he said.
“The key is everything will be kept dry.”
Kuhl expects the building conversion
and “coffining process” move indoors to be completed by the end of June.
Work started on the project two months ago, he said.
Environment Hamilton executive director Lynda Lukasik, who sits on the liaison committee, wanted assurances the move will work.
Lukasik photographed a dark cloud near the steelmaker last Thanksgiving weekend while bicycling in the area, drawing more attention to an already contentious problem for area residents.
“There will be no emissions at all?” Lukasik asked about the move.
“That’s the expectation,” replied John Lundrigan, ArcelorMittal’s general manager of environment.
Outside the meeting, Bezner said, “This is great news for the community.”
“I hope going forward this will also lead to ArcelorMittal Dofasco addressing community concerns earlier on, without us having to involve large numbers of people to try to apply pressure.”