Reclaiming the land: Xstrata Metallurgical site remediation underway.

• Author: Cowan, Liz
• Position: MINING

Following 2020, it may be difficult to tell what once stood at the Kidd Metallurgical (Met) site in Timmins. Since copper and zinc smelting and refining operations came to an end in 2010, remedial and reclamation work has been ongoing at the site.

Xstrata Copper moved those operations to its Home smelter in Rouyn, Que., and more than 650 employees lost their jobs. However, the concentrator remains at the site and about 220 are still employed.

The Kidd concentrator produces copper and zinc concentrates and treats all ore from the Kidd Mine. The remaining Met site operations will close once the Kidd Mine ceases operations, destined for 2020. Then, a remedial project will be undertaken for the remaining facilities at the Met site.

Since 2010, about 75 per cent of the plant remained empty and the company, as part of its permit requirements, had to initiate a reclamation project to deal with that portion.

"We removed all the infrastructure and took down a large amount of (empty) buildings," said John Stroiazzo, manager of projects and closed sites for Xstrata. "The electrical power line and the water pipes, and everything that serviced the facility were removed. It took about 12 to 14 months to remove all of that."

Early last year, a steel recycling company dismantled 36 industrial buildings and ancillary infrastructure. According to an Xstrata newsletter, more than 50,000 tonnes of steel were removed over a 10-month period. Most of the material went to Canadian steel recyclers. Electronics, transformers and other items were also recycled, reducing the amount of material destined for a landfill. Equipment, furniture and trucks were donated to community groups and organizations.

"The landscape is a lot barer up there now than it used to be," Stroiazzo said.

A jarosite pond, which consisted of waste material from...