PERMIT AMENDMENT PROJECT
Lafarge Canada Inc. has filed an application to amend its operational permit at our Kamloops BC facility under the Environmental Management Act. If approved, it would allow for the operation of a pumice/natural pozzolan dryer system and gypsum granulator system. Emissions will remain lower than what was previously permitted for cement manufacturing. The application also includes repurposing existing equipment (storage silo, mills, baghouse dust collectors, conveyors, etc.). Under the Environmental Management Act, a person or company is prohibited from introducing waste into the environment without authorization. The plant is planning to add equipment to monitor emissions.
About the Pumice Drying Process
Under the amendment, the Lafarge Kamloops Plant will receive deliveries of pumice, a mud-like rock used in the cement-making process. A new dryer would allow Lafarge to efficiently remove the natural moisture before grinding the material and shipping it to market. The pumice is proposed to be stored north of the kiln in an area previously used to house raw materials. A baghouse dust collector will filter emissions from the natural gas fired dryer. Once the pumice is dried, it would be sent by covered conveyor to the milling system and stored onsite in a silo before it is shipped offsite in trucks.
About the Gypsum Granulator System
Gypsum, mined in Falkland BC, was previously onsite as a raw material in the cement manufacturing process. In order to manufacture the local gypsum for agricultural markets, the amendment also includes incorporating a Gypsum Granulator System. The system mixes raw gypsum with water and a binding agent to create pellets that will then be dried. The entire process will be enclosed inside the plant with the final product being shipped in bulk bags on trucks and bulk in trucks. A baghouse dust collector will also be used to filter emissions. An existing silo will be repurposed for storage and will include the construction of an enclosed bagging area. Raw gypsum will continued to be stored at the Harpers Ranch Quarry north of the plant site, as it has been for many years.
Community Outreach
Lafarge has formed a Community Liaison Committee (CLC) to help guide the project and update residents on plant operations. The committee consists of local volunteers and Lafarge employees; the group will meet quarterly. To share information about the proposal, a public information session was held on April 5, 2018. Lafarge experts and a Ministry of the Environment representative were on hand to listen, provide updates and record questions and contact information. Lafarge will use these initiatives to answer questions related to emissions, health impacts, job creation and more. Lafarge will also share updates through this newly-launched, project-specific website.
Fugitive Dust Mitigation Plan
A formalized plan is in place to manage fugitive dust generated at the plant and minimize the potential impacts on the environment and surrounding community. The plan identifies the potential sources of fugitive dust and puts best practices in place to limit particulate emissions from operation and maintenance activities. Artificial barriers, water suppression techniques—including a water truck to moisten dry roads—and infrastructure to cover material are all approaches to manage dust generated from moving material or wind. Baghouse dust collectors, a device designed to remove particulates released from industrial processes, are in place to keep particulate matter below proposed limits.
Layout and Storage
The Permit Amendment Project identifies how Lafarge will safely store materials at the plant and a layout of operations.
- Aerial view of Lafarge Kamloops site showing proposed infrastructure locations (PDF)
- Lafarge Kamloops Plant map with emission points identified (PDF)
- Kamloops Plant property lines and surrounding neighbors (PDF)
