EssarSteel             Most of Essar Steel Algoma’s environmental control efforts continues to be on reducing cokemaking emissions with a primary focus on benzene and benzo a pyrene. The local steelmaker held a community open house yesterday at the Korah Branch Library as company environmental personnel were on hand gathering public input and answering questions.  Since 2003, Essar Steel Algoma has invested 140 million dollars in environmental controls with the vast majority of it directed at measures to reduce coke battery emissions at the 8 and 9 and older number 7 coke battery.  Company Manager of Environmental Control Fred Post  talks about the work ahead this year on number 7…

78-million dollars has been earmarked in replacing the coke oven walls on number 8 and 9 and that work has progressed since 2003.  In the coming year,  the company plans to rebuild nine oven walls on number 8 battery.       Part of Essar Steel Algoma’s environmental control efforts have been on reducing noise levels and the company is in the midst of addressing 10 sources as part of a 5-year 3.9-million dollar plan.  Post says this is year 2 of the plan as last year  new noise mufflers were installed on a steam vent in the by-products plant and on all four blast furnace stove blow-offs.  Post says the improvements were significant and he gives one example…

Post says this year they will be installing fan motor enclosures on larger fans in the gas cleaning plant near steel making and cooling tower fans also near steel making operations.     Excess steam that’s generated from the steel making process has led to excessive noise levels coming from Essar Steel Algoma.  The noise can sound similar to a jet taking off.  In addressing the noise, Post says they will be looking to put in a system to generate power from the excess steam…

The project is at the engineering design planning stage and it is expected that it will be complete within the next year.  Post suggests the cost for the project could be around 5 million dollars and there is no definitive timeline——-the hope is to have it  completed sometime in 2017.