Send this article to Promobot

OPINION: Often misunderstood toxic release inventory

January 27th 2:36 pm | Wayne Hall Print this article   Email this article   Create a Shortlink for this article

Each year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) releases its annual Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) report. The definition of "release" under the inventory is quite broad and is often mischaracterized. I'd like to clarify what the report means for Red Dog and how we fit into it.

Since 1998, Red Dog has been required to report to the EPA the amount of materials moved at the mine site due to the high grades of zinc and lead minerals naturally occurring in the ground. Red Dog's high ranking in the report is a result of the process of mining, moving and storing rock, even though the material never leaves the site.

To put this in context, if you live in Anchorage and dug up 10 wheelbarrow loads of soil from your backyard and moved it to your front yard, under the TRI you would have "released" approximately a third of a pound of zinc and a tenth of a pound of lead based on the average soil mineral concentrations in the Anchorage area. Do this three times and, under the TRI, you have just released a pound of zinc. Yet most people would not view moving material from one part of their yard to the other as a measure of "pollution" — which TRI rankings are often mischaracterized as.

As a mine, Red Dog is required to move large quantities of material from one part of the mine site to another every year. Like your wheelbarrow, the simple movement of this material does not automatically constitute "pollution." This movement is strictly regulated and the material is managed in contained storage systems, which have been permitted and bonded under stringent state and federal permits to ensure the facilities meet high environmental standards. The mineralized materials we handle in the course of mining are naturally occurring and do not change form; they are only moved from one place to another on the mine property. In other words, Red Dog's high TRI ranking is simply a reflection of the quantity of material we move at our operation and not environmental impact.

Red Dog employs over 450 people and generates millions in investment, wages and tax revenues that pay for important services in the state. All of us who work at Red Dog take our responsibility to protect the environment very seriously and we are proud of the work we do and the high environmental standards we meet.

Wayne Hall joined Teck's Red Dog Mine in 1999 in the field of environmental stewardship, most recently as the Environmental Superintendent, and is currently Manager of Community and Public Relations. In addition to his time with Teck, Wayne has 20 years of experience in mining and environment stewardship including other mines in Alaska and California. Wayne was raised in Juneau and has lived in Alaska for close to 40 years.

 


Copyright 2012 The Arctic Sounder is a publication of Alaska Media, LLC. This article is © 2012 and limited reproduction rights for personal use are granted for this printing only. This article, in any form, may not be further reproduced without written permission of the publisher and owner, including duplication for not-for-profit purposes. Portions of this article may belong to other agencies; those sections are reproduced here with permission and Alaska Media, LLC makes no provisions for further distribution.