Mining provides the minerals and metals that are essential to household items Canadians use every day, and it is important that the process of extracting these resources is done in the most environmentally respectful way. Vale, a Mining Association of Canada (MAC) member and one of the world’s most significant producers of nickel, has had a significant presence in communities across Canada for many years and recently completed its $1 billion Clean AER Project, focused on reducing sulfur dioxide emissions by 85% and metals particulate by 40%.
These emission reductions reflect how seriously companies in Canada are taking the call to mine responsibly, particularly when it comes to the environment. As a member of MAC, Vale follows the Towards Sustainable Mining® program, a set of principles that focus on the need to mine in the most socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable ways. The Clean AER Project is one example that shows the innovation taking place in ensuring Canada’s mining industry is at the forefront of mining responsibly. In fact, the project has reduced emissions so significantly that Vale’s iconic Superstack will no longer be required and construction of two smaller and more efficient stacks is underway. The steel liners of those new stacks will be installed in 2019, allowing for the Superstack to be decommissioned in 2020.
Vale is helping to provide responsibly sourced nickel to companies in Canada and around the world. So when you see a product that has been produced using Canadian nickel, be it the fork you use to eat dinner, or the smart phone you use every day, you can know it has been built with some of the most sustainably sourced nickel in the world.
