Placer earns awards for Ontario mine

The Campbell gold mine of Placer Dome near Red Lake, in northwestern Ontario, has received three awards from the Ontario Ministry of the Environment.

Presented as part of the ministry’s Pollution Prevention Pledge Program, the awards recognize voluntary efforts in pollution prevention, the reduction of toxic emissions and waste, and the inclusion of environmental practices in business decisions.

The awards were given in recognition of improvements made by the company between 1990-1996 with respect air and water quality around the mine.

The company has spent $33 million on improvements at the mine since 1990, including the installation of a $25-million pressure oxidation circuit and sulphur dioxide treatment plant to decrease arsenic emissions. The company also spent $6 million on a new tailings treatment facility and $2 million on a new polishing pond. Mill processes at the mine, which has been producing since 1949, were improved to decrease levels of arsenic and copper released to the environment. According to Placer arsenic emissions from the Campbell operation have dropped 99% since the upgrades were made.

Says mine manager Michael Winship, “You can have responsible environmental protection and good business practices together. It’s not a matter of choosing one over the other.”