Environment Air

Air quality in and around our sites is important. We monitor and report air emissions to comply with air quality laws and regulations in the countries where we operate.

Air emissions from our Manitoba operations are minor and related to vent and fugitive dust emissions. We have a particulate monitoring program in place to ensure that particulates, which may contain metals, remain below regulatory limits. Readings are reviewed by the government and external compliance auditors.

Each year, a dust management plan is implemented at Flin Flon in line with the annual tailings deposition plan and weather conditions. Water cover on tailings areas is controlled to reduce the potential for dust generation. We use a variety of methods for dust control on active tailings dams, such as creating covers of calcium chloride sand, adding chemical binder on exposed beaches, as well as utilizing a straw covering where possible. To minimize dust generation from vehicles, we have paved about 50% of the main in-plant roads. Road dust calculations for the year were higher than in 2014 due to a reassessment of applicable roadways.

We have a dust management plan at Constancia, which includes the application of a dust suppressant on roads in and around the site. We apply water to temporary and haul roads when dust suppressant cannot be used. Other measures include changing blasting schedules according to wind conditions to minimize dust in nearby communities.

In its Environmental Impact Statement, Rosemont has committed to using numerous mitigation measures to minimize air emissions, including operational and engineering controls for controlling fugitive dust associated with tailings, paving roads within the mine site, using covers to control emissions from mix tanks and settlers, using spray or physical enclosures for low-emission-potential processes, using natural gas–powered buses, and including stockpile and loadout areas within the enclosed stockpile building.

2015 Performance Highlights

Manitoba

• In Manitoba, negotiations have been initiated with the federal government on a new performance agreement for air emissions from the zinc plant, as required by Environment Canada for smelters, zinc plants and refineries.

Peru

• In Peru, air monitoring was carried out monthly in the community of Chilloroya and quarterly in Urasana and Ichuni, and reports were submitted to regulatory authorities. There were no material exceedances of air quality standards during the year.

Arizona

• Our Rosemont air quality permit is currently in litigation, which is not unusual in the US regulatory system. We are working through this process and do not expect it to delay overall project progress.