(MERAF) for the Base Metals Smelting Sector - CCME

• In 2000, minerals and metal exports were valued at $49.1 billion,
representing 12.8% of total Canadian exports.
S.3 Emission sources and data
In addition to the information supplied through the reports prepared by Hatch
Associates for Environment Canada, a series of other programs offer data.
Examples of such programs include:
• The National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) is a legislated,
national, publicly accessible database of pollutants released in the
Canadian environment. It requires facilities to report annually on
releases and transfers of over 260 substances of concern if they meet
certain reporting requirements. The first report presented data on a
select number of pollutant releases in 1993. As of 2002, the list of
substances will require the reporting of criteria air contaminants (e.g.,
oxides of nitrogen (as NO 2 ), sulphur dioxide, particulate matter (total,
PM 10 , PM 2.5 ), carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds).
Base metals smelting facilities have been required to report releases of
dioxins and furans to NPRI since 2000. Other recent modifications
include:
− the addition of hexavalent chromium at a lower threshold;
− lower thresholds for cadmium (and its compounds), lead (and its
compounds and tetraethyl lead), and arsenic (and its
compounds);
− an effluent based trigger for reporting from municipal water
treatment facilities;
− the delisting of phosphoric acid; and;
− the description of wood preservation.
• Accelerated Reduction/Elimination of Toxics (ARET): ARET is a
voluntary, non-regulatory program that targets 117 toxic substances,
including 30 that persist in the environment and may accumulate in
living organisms.
• Assessments of Releases from Primary and Secondary Copper
Smelters and Refineries and Primary and Secondary Zinc Plants:
Emissions to air of the following components were assessed: sulphur
dioxide (SO 2 ); the metals (largely in the form of particulate matter)
copper, zinc, nickel, lead, cadmium, chromium and arsenic; and
particulate matter less than or equal to 10 µm (PM 10 ).
• Other Criteria Air Contaminants (CAC), except for SO 2 which
represented 36% of all SO 2 emissions from industrial sources,
emissions from the BMS sector are relatively very small and were
therefore not considered further in this report.
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