Environment and Energy

Canada’s Steel Industry and the Environment

Steel companies are an important presence in many communities across Canada.  CSPA member companies recognize their environmental and community obligations to ensure that all Canadians continue to benefit from world-class steel production in this country.  We strive for continual environmental improvement in every phase of steel production.

Our Sustainability Principles

  1. Maintain high standards of environmental performance in all aspects of operations
  2. Work to improve company and sector performance continuously through the development and adoption of new or improved processes, practices, technologies, and products
  3. Maximize resource efficiency in the development, production and use of steel products, including efforts to:
    1. Recover, reuse, and recycle steel;
    2. Use energy and water efficiently;
    3. Develop value-added steel products and applications;
    4. Increase the utilization of steelmaking co-products;
    5. Reduce waste from steelmaking operations
  4. Develop new steel products that enable more renewable energy and help other industries to improve environmental performance

CSPA Environmental Performance – 2011 Results

Steel companies are an important presence in many communities across Canada.  CSPA member companies recognize the importance of their environmental performance and community obligations to ensure that all Canadians continue to benefit from world-class steel production in this country.  We strive for continuous environmental improvement in every phase of steel production.  Performance metrics of our member companies for key environmental indicators are presented below.

These environmental performance indicators include data from the following facilities unless otherwise indicated: AltaSteel, ArcelorMittal Dofasco, ArcelorMittal Contrecoeur, ArcelorMittal Contrecoeur Ouest, Essar Steel Algoma, Evraz Inc. NACanada(Regina), Gerdau Cambridge, Gerdau Manitoba, Gerdau Whitby, Ivaco Rolling Mills, U. S. Steel Canada – Hamilton Works, and U. S. Steel Canada – Lake Erie Works.

Operating levels at Canadian steelmakers continued to recover in 2011 from the historically low levels experienced in 2009 as a result of the global economic downturn.  Levels of steel production in 2011 were slightly lower than the previous year.  This means that Canadian steel mills were operating at lower levels of capacity utilization, which has a direct impact on operational efficiency and emissions performance.

Air Emissions

CSPA steel companies have achieved a 20% improvement in nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions since 1990. Emission rates for 2011 were comparable to performance levels before the global economic downturn.  Over the same period, sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions improved by 65% for integrated steel mills.  Emissions of total particulate matter (TPM) are 9% below 1990 levels.

These emission levels are somewhat higher than those observed in 2010 and reflect the process inefficiencies due to the decrease in total steel production.

Note: TPM results exclude Gerdau Cambridge and Gerdau Whitby due to data gaps in historical reporting.
In 2011, benzene emissions continued to decrease, with an 87% improvement since 1990. Benzene emission reduction projects were implemented during 2011 at a number of integrated steel mills.

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Water

Canadian steel companies treat water used in the production process before returning it to the natural environment.  In 2011, Total Suspended Solids in discharged water increased from 2010 levels due to operating issues at one facility.  Projects are underway to address those issues.  Industry-wide, Total Suspended Solids remain more than 30% lower than 1995 levels.


Steel Recycling

Steel is the most recycled material on earth, and scrap steel is a key input to the steelmaking process.  In 2011, Canadian steelmakers recycled approximately 7 million tonnes of scrap steel (the equivalent of recycling 7 million cars).  Canadian steelmakers have recycled more than 168 million tonnes since 1990.

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Climate Change and Energy Conservation

Carbon dioxide (CO2) and energy data for the year 2011 are not yet available.  The CO2 and energy intensity performance graphs show the industry’s performance through the year 2010 and will be updated when 2011 data are available.

Canada’s steel industry performance on energy and carbon dioxide intensities in 2010 improved from 2009, returning to levels comparable to those before the recession.  The sector’s energy intensity for 2010 is 25% below 1990 levels, and its 2010 carbon dioxide intensity is 27% below 1990 levels.  Absolute CO2 emissions are 29% below 1990 levels.




Waste Management

CSPA member companies are well on the way to the total elimination of PCB-containing equipment.  As of 2011, over 98% of PCB-containing equipment have been removed from service.


Mercury Pollution Prevention

CSPA supports the principle of utilizing mercury-free scrap steel to the greatest extent practicable.  As a further commitment to protection of the environment, CSPA member companies have adopted a policy to require that all steel mill scrap be mercury free.  All member companies have voluntarily included these new requirements in their scrap purchasing policies.  Scrap suppliers are required to demonstrate that they have programs in place to identify, remove, track and properly dispose of all sources of mercury in the scrap sold to CSPA member companies.  Member companies may audit scrap suppliers to ensure that such requirements are being met.

Since 2008, CSPA has been co-funding Switch Out, a national mercury switch collection program with the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association.  Together with the General Scrap Program of Evraz Inc. NA in Western Canada, more than 413,000 switches have been removed from the steel recycling stream since 2008.

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Energy Efficiency

Benchmarking Report Benchmarking Energy Intensity in the Canadian Steel Industry is now available.Click here for the report.

We are proud that Canada’s steel companies have been independently benchmarked as performing at a high rate of implementation of “Best Available Technology Economically Achievable” (BATEA).

This is a critical concept for the CSPA as it captures not just world-class technology, but the competitiveness pressures of a highly capital-intensive industry operating in one of the most open and competitive steel markets in the world.

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Mercury Pollution Prevention

Since 2008, CSPA and the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association are jointly supporting a national program called “Switch Out” to remove mercury from the steel scrap stream.  Operated by Summerhill Impact (formerly Clean Air Foundation), Switch Out works directly with automotive recyclers and dismantlers for the removal, collection, and management of mercury-containing switches and ABS sensor modules from end-of-life vehicles (ELVs).  The ELVs are then flattened, shredded and recycled into new steel.  The program also provides training materials and educational resources to recyclers and dismantlers.  For additional information about Switch Out, please visit http://www.switchout.ca/.

Switch Out has completed its fourth year of operations.  Thanks to the participation of recyclers and dismantlers across Canada, Switch Out collected 67,542 mercury switches in 2011.

Table 1 summarizes the collection results for 2008-2011.

Table 1: Switch Out Program Results

Parameter

2008 Results

2009 Results

2010 Results

2011 Results

Switch Collection Target

39,000 switches

60,000 switches

112,000 switches

129,000 switches

Estimated Capture Ratea

12%

20%

40%

50%

Actual Number of Switches Collected

64,011 switches

112,167 switches

76,866 switches

67,542 switches

Actual Capture Ratea

19.7%

37.4%

27.4%

26.2%

Effectiveness Rateb

Not applicable for first year of national switch collection program

36.3%

69.6%

78.9%

a The anticipated number of mercury switches available for collection is based upon a similar model utilized in the U.S.-based National Vehicle Mercury Switch Recovery Program.  Details of the U.S. model are available at: http://www.elvsolutions.org/model.html.

b Effectiveness rate is defined as one (1) minus the ratio of the number of accessible mercury switches annually managed from end-of-life vehicles that are dismantled, recycled, shredded or crushed by vehicle recyclers; to the cumulative number of accessible mercury-containing switches managed to-date. The effectiveness rate increases as more switches are collected.

 

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