New Brunswick
PO Box 5039, Sussex, New Brunswick E4E 5L2 | (506) 432-8400
Mark Fracchia, General Manager | E-mail Mark
View Plant Sustainability Brochures
Sod-turning Ceremony Generates Excitement in Sussex
Operations
Underground mining operations take place at a depth of between 400 and 700 meters. The operation produces potash and salt, with an annual capacity of 0.8 million tonnes KCl and 0.7 million tonnes of salt.
Significant Events
In 2007, PotashCorp announced that a $1.67 billion expansion would take place at the New Brunswick division in 2011. This will involve a new 2-million-tonne mine and a 1.2-million-tonne enhancement to the existing mill. The company received a positive environmental impact assessment for the project referred to as Picadilly late in the year.
An ongoing operational challenge for the mine continues to be brine inflow. Initiatives in 2007 to inject grout into the inflow zone, along with sustained drilling and grouting efforts underground, have sealed at least some of the flow paths through the siltstone and helped to stabilize the formation.
Significant production achievements in 2007 included record volumes for white muriate production and for granular production.
Community Relations
Several meetings and discussions were held with regulators, senior government officials and cabinet ministers to discuss the expansion program and seek support.
Community Involvement
The value of cash donations to local community organizations in 2007 totaled $25,866. The top recipients were the Hammond River Angling Association (an environmental group), Sussex Mural Project, Sussex Fish and Game Association and the Sussex Health Centre.
The estimated value of in-kind donations for 2007 was $78,005. This involved delivery of water to residents of Penobsquis and donations to the New Brunswick Fire Marshall Office, the Atlantic Balloon Fiesta and Sussex Vale Transition House.
In 2007, the division supported the co-op program at the local community college by hiring a Chemical Technology co-op student for a four-month work term.
Environmental and Energy Initiatives
A project was initiated to extend the existing natural gas production manifold to tie in two additional natural gas wells. When completed, this will reduce GHG emissions by using natural gas instead of oil as a fuel for the existing boilers.
Awards
In 2007, the New Brunswick division received the New Brunswick Mining Association Mineral Industry trophy for the mine with the lowest injury frequency rate in the province for the year 2006.
The division also received the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum-New Brunswick Branch trophy for the mine with the lowest accident severity in mines in the province for the year.
New Brunswick division received a Master Sponsor designation for its $10,000 contribution to the Sussex Mural Projects. The increases in tourism as a result of the project have been excellent for the community.
Local Procurement
The value of goods, materials and services purchased locally in 2007 (excluding raw materials, transportation and energy) was $40.1 million, and 43 percent of all purchases went to local suppliers.
| Performance Trends – New Brunswick/Cassidy Lake |
| |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
Annual Production (tonnes KCl) |
781,761 |
758,684 |
742,821 |
793,225 |
Employment |
|
|
|
|
| # of employees |
330 |
340 |
330 |
339 |
| # of female employees |
7 |
9 |
8 |
10 |
| Gender ratio (% female/total employees) |
2.1 |
2.6 |
2.4 |
2.9 |
| Average tenure (years) |
16.8 |
17.1 |
17.6 |
17.6 |
| Absenteeism rate (% hours absent) |
5.8 |
5.3 |
5.6 |
4.3 |
| Employee training provided (hrs per employee) |
51 |
50 |
61 |
57 |
Safety Performance |
|
|
|
|
| Lost-time frequency (per 200,000 hrs) |
0 |
0 |
0.6 |
0.3 |
| Recordable frequency (per 200,000 hrs) |
3.6 |
2.2 |
2.2 |
3.8 |
Greenhouse Gas Emissions |
|
|
|
|
| GHG emissions (000 tonnes) |
47.3 |
48.3 |
49.8 |
51.7 |
| Normalized GHGs (GHGs/tonne production) |
0.06 |
0.06 |
0.07 |
0.07 |
NPRI Air Pollutants (tonnes) |
|
|
|
|
| Nitrogen oxides |
46.6 |
48.0 |
49.7 |
52.3 |
| Carbon monoxide |
37.6 |
37.3 |
36.4 |
36.9 |
| Particulates (dust) |
166.4 |
222.7 |
155.4 |
167.7 |
| Volatile organic compounds |
163.9 |
166.9 |
166.5 |
190.6 |
Waste to Land (000 tonnes) |
|
|
|
|
| Waste salt and clay to mine |
1,692 |
1,514 |
1,551 |
1,675 |
Emissions to Water (000 tonnes) |
|
|
|
|
| Salt brine to sea (dry basis) |
264 |
356 |
450 |
750 |
Water Use (000 m3) |
|
|
|
|
| Water withdrawn |
417.4 |
388.6 |
417.9 |
443.9 |
Environmental Expenditures (CDN $ 000) |
|
|
|
|
| Operating expenditures |
12,636 |
13,572 |
18,161 |
11,813 |
| Capital expenditures |
657 |
659 |
395 |
4,841 |
Energy |
|
|
|
|
| Energy costs (CDN $ million) |
13.4 |
15.5 |
16.8 |
18.0 |
| Energy use (TJ) |
1,393 |
1,426 |
1,433 |
1,489 |
| Energy efficiency (GJ/tonne production) |
1.8 |
1.9 |
1.9 |
1.9 |
Procurement |
|
|
|
|
| Local purchasing (CDN $ million) |
23.4 |
31.5 |
49.5 |
40.1 |
