Minor sulphur dioxide leak at Vale contained

A minor release of sulphur dioxide Friday morning at Vale’s Port Colborne Refinery was contained to its Davis Street property with no impact on the community, said Danica Pagnutti, the company’s corporate and Indigenous affairs specialist for Ontario operations.

She said the release took place when employees were decoupling rail cars in preparation for an upcoming planned maintenance period.

Alarms sounding from the plant could be heard across parts of the city just after 9 a.m.

“Employees working in the area, wearing appropriate personal protective equipment, safely responded to the incident. As per protocols, employees reported to muster stations when the alarms sounded,” Pagnutti said in an email.

Port Colborne Fire and Emergency Services responded as per Vale’s established communications and response protocol with the City of Port Colborne.

Firefighters in Engine 1 and deputy Chief Mike DeGasperis stood by outside the front entrance of the plant as warning lights flashed on the front gate.

“The minor release was contained within Vale property with no impact to the community. While the release itself was ultimately not significant and posed no danger, response protocols were followed perfectly,” said Pagnutti.

The Port Colborne refinery, built more than 100 years ago, sits on 145 hectares of land in the city’s southeast and produces electrocobalt, makes and distributes finished nickel products, and processes precious metals.

Pagnutti said metals refining requires the use of certain materials that can be hazardous.

“Our focus in operating the refinery is on mitigating those risks at all times. At Vale, we are obsessed with health and safety. Our employees receive training for emergency procedures regularly.

“While the release itself was ultimately not significant and posed no danger, response protocols were followed perfectly.” DANICA PAGNUTTI VALE CORPORATE AFFAIRS SPECIALIST FOR ONTARIO

“We also provide information to the public about what to do in the unlikely event of a hazardous material release,” she said.

Vale has an emergency preparedness section on its website, and early this year it sent an information card to residents in the city.

In the event of an emergency signal, repeated air horn blasts followed by five seconds of silence, residents should always go indoors, close all doors and windows, and turn off furnaces, air conditioners and other air intakes.