Potash

All dollar values are CDN.

Cory

Operations

Annual operational capability — 0.8 million tonnes KCl
Mining depth — 1,021 meters
Products — white soluble, granular, chicklet and K-Prill products used for agriculture and industrial applications

Performance

Significant Events

• Received approval for the Red Product Expansion Project from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment in October 2009
• Increased the workforce by 73 people in 2009 as part of expansion ramp‑up
• Able to keep hourly employees working 97 percent of the year despite 12 weeks of shutdowns by redeploying them to capital and maintenance projects

Community Relations

• Gave 37 site tours in 2009 to groups ranging from high school students to customers
• Staggered work shifts to respond to local concerns about traffic impact and congestion resulting from the large number of contractors working on-site for expansion projects
• Began an off-ramp access to the site in late 2009, which will reduce blind spots exiting the site and allow for safer entry

Community Donations

• Donated $16,000 to local organizations including the United Way, Ducks Unlimited, Children’s Health and Hospital Foundation, Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees (SOAR) and several minor hockey teams
• Donated $53,000 to the United Way campaign, supported by USW Local 7458 and PotashCorp staff

Awards

• Finished first in both the mine problem event and the first aid event at the Provincial Mine Rescue Competition; was the overall underground runner-up
• Recognized by the United Way of Saskatoon and Area (along with PotashCorp Allan and Patience Lake and the PotashCorp head office) for raising more than $2 million over the life of the program

Energy and Environment

• Installed flow meters on the underground mine air heaters to more accurately track usage, optimize the system and minimize natural gas usage
• Undertook a number of site remediation and rehabilitation projects, including upgrading the west seepage well; repairing dykes in the tailings management area; re-grading and re-building the slope face; and turning and aerating the land farm to reduce hydrocarbon levels in the soil
• Hosted students and professors from the University of Saskatchewan who were researching soil amendments to reduce salinity
• Installed TurboScrubbers in the new mill to reduce water usage and dust emissions
• Took steps to prevent waste build-up at the site from work related to the expansion project: sent all scrap steel and copper to a metal recycling facility; re-used concrete waste as rip-rap or spillway reinforcement; sent wooden cable reels back to the supplier for re-use; and worked with CN Rail to remove used railway ties from site

Local Procurement

• Made local purchases in 2009 of $17.1 million, or 60 percent of all expenditures (excluding major expansions, raw materials, energy and transportation)