(MERAF) for the Base Metals Smelting Sector - CCME

* On March 28, 2002, Noranda Inc. announced that, effective April 30, 2002, it
permanently closed its Gaspé copper smelter, located in Murdochville.
2.6. Company and Facility Profiles
This section provides basic information related to products produced at each
smelter, the type of processes used and the age of the installed capital 33,34 .
More information on the processes, flow sheets and sources of emissions will be
the subject of the next chapter.
2.6.1. Teck Cominco Ltd
Cominco 35 was incorporated in Canada in 1906. In 2000, Cominco Ltd. was the
world’s largest zinc-mining company and the fourth-largest zinc metal refiner. It
owned or had interests in mines, smelters and refineries in Canada, the United
States and Peru. The company also produced significant quantities of copper,
lead, silver and gold along with specialty metals such as germanium and indium,
and electricity all of which are important contributors to operating revenues.
In 2000, Teck Corporation of Vancouver was the majority shareholder holding
50.05% of Cominco’s common share.
In July 2001, Teck Corporation and Cominco Ltd. announced their proposed
merger to become Teck Cominco Limited.
The new Teck Cominco is a diversified mining and metals company with interests
in 12 operating mines producing gold, copper, zinc and metallurgical coal in
North and South America and Australia, as well as zinc refining complexes in
British Columbia and Peru. It is the fourth largest North American-based base
metals mining and refining company and the third largest in publicly held market
capitalization, after Phelps Dodge and Inco.
Teck Cominco Ltd. operates an integrated primary lead-zinc smelter and refinery,
and associated acid and fertilizer plants at Trail, British Columbia. The
operations, which have existed at the site in various forms for more than 100
years, have evolved into one of the largest integrated lead-zinc facilities in the
world. These plants process zinc and lead concentrates produced at the
company’s own mines in B.C. and Alaska, and custom concentrates purchased
world-wide. Pre-processed battery scrap and other lead scrap are also part of
the feedstock. In addition to the primary zinc and lead products, the operations
produce many co-products including silver, gold, bismuth, cadmium, indium,
germanium, copper sulphate, copper arsenate, ferrous slag granules, calomel,
sodium antimonate, sulphuric acid, liquid sulphur dioxide, elemental sulphur, and
33 Environment Canada Strategic Options for the Management of Toxic Substances from the
Base Metals Smelting Sector - Report of the Stakeholder Consultations, June 23, 1997. URL:
http://www.ec.gc.ca/sop/en/index.cfm?actn=s1
34 Hatch Associates, Review of Environmental Releases for the Base Metals Smelting Sector,
Appendix A, Site Specific Information, prepared for Environment Canada, dated November 2000.
35 Cominco Annual Report, 2000. URL: http://www.teckcominco.com/invrel/reports/clt-00-ar.pdf
Teck Cominco. URL:: http://www.teckcominco.com/index.html
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