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Plant Improvements Win Local Government KudosEnvironmental improvements to the PCS Fosfatos do Brasil facility have been so significant that the Santos regional office of the federal environmental agency likes to use it as an example when other companies aren?t sure how to go about rectifying environmental problems. While initial improvements were made in 2001 to the mineral salt production equipment to minimize problems with dust leakage into both the employee and the outside environments, more work was in order, according to PCS Fosfatos General Manager H. Sonny Fernandes. "One of the projects in 2002 was an overhaul to the dust collection system and filters in the mineral salt and bagging units, which virtually eliminated all dust from the floor and in the air," said Fernandes. "In the same year, during the revamp of the dical unit, the dust collection system and bag house were changed, which also improved the environment inside and outside the plant." In 2004, PCS Fosfatos was one of the first companies to be granted an operational renewal license under Brazil?s new federal law. The new environmental legislation has stricter requirements and demands that companies undergo bi-annual re-licensing rather than the previous "once approved: no further inspections required" policy. PCS Fosfatos met all of the renewal requirements under the new law. It was also one of three companies in the area to earn the praise of the local government environmental agency, CETESB (Cia de Tecnologia de Sanamen Ambiental - Technology Center for Environment Conservation), according to Fernandes. In 2005, two projects were completed that made further improvements to air and water. First, the installation of a conduit system for treatment and re-utilization of pluvial water was done at the request of CETESB. A second project has made a difference by processing all sanitary water through a new, upgraded sewage treatment station. This enables the treated water to be re-used for gardening and street cleaning. Effectively, all water that enters the plant site is saved and re-used. To minimize odor in the area nearest the plant, the height of the stack of the wet scrubber was recently extended, allowing the odor to better disperse in the atmosphere. "PCS Fosfatos is committed to providing a safe, healthy, environment for our employees and the local residents of São Vicente," said Mark Boulanger, Senior Director of Brazilian Operations for PotashCorp.  Top
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