Page 12. July 1980 Cassiar Courier HEALTH The Cassiar Environmental Control Department has the mandate to protect the health of the people in Cassiar while at work as well as at home, and to make the town of Cassiar as aesthetically comfortable as possible. This cov- ers a wide range of areas from beautifying the townsite to engineering and installing effective controls for the pro- tection of the health of the Public. , Since adopting this policy, the company has come a long way by lowering health hazards and by reducing the nec- essity of wearing short term protections such as respira- tors. Most equipment which emits dust is now enclosed and properly ventilated. Noise abatement programs are now underway with silencers being installed in areas of the mill. . MEMBRANE FILTER SAMPLE RESULTS FOR THE PERIOD 1973 - 1980 People at home and living in the surrounding area of Cas- siar must be protected from airborne asbestos dust. Sources of dust for outside the plantsite are dryer stacks, dry rock storage building, dumping of tailings, dirty vehi- cles and dirty clothing. Such emissions are monitored by the environmental laboratory by the use of dust samplers located around the*townsite and tailings pile. ENVIRONMENTAL ‘pecan tr: * The department employs seven people for the environmen- tal section ( including the Chief Engineer Mel Taylor ) and fourteen people for'quality control. STACK SAMPLING TESTING BAG EFFICIENCY INSIDE VACUUM CHAMBER First the Environmental Laboratory Technician must continually monitor the air for dust, noise and fumes. Any. adverse conditions are docu- mented and corrective action is taken immedi- ately by one of three measures. Immediate pro- tection by the wearing of respirators or ear- muffs is number one. Secondly, engineering of dust control measures and noise abatement must be carried out and equipment modified for the lowering of emissions to acceptable li- mits. Thirdly, if the area cannot be controlled — ; for technological reasons, the person can be replaced by automation. INSIDE VACUUM CHAMBER TOWNSITE CONTAMINATION HAS NOW BEEN VIR— TUALLY ELIMINATED WITH FILTERS .ON THE. DRYER STACKS AND DRY ROCK STORAGE BUILD— ING, TAILINGS ARE WETTED DURING THE DUMP— ING PROCESS. BAG FILTERS ON DRY ROCK STORAGE Cassiar Courier July 1980 Page 13 - DEPARTMENT PROTECTION AREAS OF CONCERN FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL DEPARTMENT , OTHER THAN THE OPERATION, INCLUDE MOSQUITO CONTROL PROGRAMS; TOWN— SITE BEAUTIFICATION AND GROUND MAINTENANCE; SEWAGE PLANT MONI— TORING FOR PROPER OPERATION; CHLORINE PLANT MONITORING FOR PRO— PER DRINKING WATER CONTROL; WATER SAMPLING FOR BACTERIA AND ASBESTOS FIBRES; RECORD KEEPING OF WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR ENVIR— ONMENT — CANADA; MONITORING OF THE MILL AIR SYSTEM FOR BOTH ENVIRONMENTAL AND PROCESS CONTROL AND SIMPLY INVESTIGATING ALL A TRUCK WASH IS USED TO CLEAN VEHICLES LEAVING THE MINESITE. THE COMPANY HAS SUPPLIED ONE OF THE BEST CHANGEHOUSES IN INDUSTRY TO ALLOW EMPLOYEES TO LEAVE.CONTAMINATED CLOTHING AT WORK. POTENTIAL HEALTH HAZARDS AROUND THE PROPERTY. a WATER SAMPLING — PUMP HOUSE - CASSIAR’S MILL AIR BUILDING PROVIDES 480,000cfm OF PRO— CESS AND VENTILATING AIR. CHLORINE PLANT MONITORING Students are hired, during the vaca- tion period, to work on town beauti- fication. Cassiar’s environmental department is also actively involved in the closing procedure required by the Govern- ment of the Yukon for the Clinton Creek Mine. In all, by working together with go- vernments, union and management, Cassiar is now one of the cleanest op- erations in the asbestos industry and for most parts ranks high in any indus- try of British Columbia.