ArcelorMittal Dofasco says it has learned from 'failure' behind red plume emitted last year
As a result of the emission in October, the plant was required to implement a new alarm system
ArcelorMittal Dofasco's general manager of the environment says the plant has learned from the "failure" that sent a red plume of iron oxide into the air in October.
During a Tuesday evening community liaison committee meeting, Gas Gebara explained how the malfunction occurred and answered questions from residents.
He said the issue occurred in the process of blowing oxygen at the plant's steelmaking furnace at roughly 3:21 p.m., on Oct. 28, 2023. It's done to refine the iron and remove impurities.
The malfunction sent a dust cloud in the sky for roughly 14 minutes and prompted questions and concerns from residents who saw it.
Gebara said the plant investigated the incident and contacted the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Parks and Conservation's Spills Action Centre.
"This was a unique event we had not seen before ... our goal is zero [events like this], that's clear," Gebara said.
WATCH | Red dust cloud forms after 'malfunction' at ArcelorMittal Dofasco
Gary Wheeler, spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, told CBC Hamilton in an email on Wednesday that as a result of the emission, the plant was required to implement alarms to alert Dofasco of any change in operating conditions.
He said monitoring data "did not reveal any evidence of a related significant increase in measured concentrations of particulate matter or total reduced sulphur."
"The ministry has not laid any charges in relation to this incident, nor are there any active investigations underway," Wheeler wrote.
Gebara said the company has put the alarms in place and is "reaching out to the community to share those lessons." He also said the company's summary on the incident would be posted to its website within the next two weeks.
Dofasco halting coal use by 2028
Kate Flynn, general manager at Mohawk College's Centre for Climate Change Management, attended the meeting and said in an interview on Wednesday Dofasco seemed to share more about this incident than they have about past incidents.
That said there will never be a "satisfactory answer" for her so long as steelmaking causes pollution.
Flynn added she hopes a mistake like this won't happen again.
ArcelorMittal Dofasco is Canada's biggest producer of flat-rolled steel and also the single biggest industrial source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Ontario .
The plant has plans to cut carbon emissions by 60 per cent and remove coal from its process by switching over to direct reduced iron-electric arc furnace steelmaking in the next four years.
As part of that process, Gebara said the steelmaking furnace that was responsible for the plume won't be in operation.
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With files from Eva Salinas