At Teck, managing air quality is critical to people, communities and the environment, and minimizing the impact of dust is a year-round priority at our steelmaking coal operations in the Elk Valley of British Columbia. In addition to deploying proven dust mitigation measures, we also research other innovative mitigation and monitoring systems to drive continued improvement.
At our Elkview Operation, a novel concept was developed to adapt the expansion foam practice used in firefighting to dust mitigation control for hard-to-reach areas like rock piles and highwalls, one of the operation’s larger dust sources. Use of these dust suppression products could significantly lower fugitive dust levels with the potential for significant reductions in water use compared to traditional mitigation measures like mister trucks. The key component of the adaptation was to remove the harmful chemicals from the foam products to create an environmentally friendly solution.
In 2022, Elkview conducted a successful, industry-first small-scale trial of four custom blend foaming products as dust suppressants on pit highwalls and rock piles. A comprehensive environmental study was completed to assess the effects of using the product, including testing to ensure it is safe. The site has received approval and support from regulators and the local Indigenous Nation to run a full-scale trial in 2024, which will use a custom-built truck for foam generation and application to cover larger areas and to test the top performing products from the first trial. If this continues to be successful, this program could be expanded to other operations and contribute to reducing environmental and visual impacts from fugitive dust generation.
Read more about our approach to air quality on our website.
