FIGURE 3— Interior of the changehouse.

(e) During 1977, Cassiar completed a $7,000,000 mill air building, which provides 480,000 cfm (13,440 m*) of process and ventilating air. Construction of this building started in late 1975. It was in its final break- in stage in late 1977 (see colour photo).

(f) The new mill air building will provide additional air for the processing operation and all the equipment enclosures now being installed in the mill. Equipment enclosures will include the enclosing of conveyors, screens, pressure packers or any piece of equipment used in the processing of asbestos that may emit dust into the mill atmosphere. Cassiar has installed three central vacuum systems throughout the plant for cleaning equipment and floors.

(g) To avoid contamination in the townsite from vehicles travelling from plantsite to townsite a truck- wash was constructed in 1977. All vehicles coming out of the mine area must pass through the wash area to be cleaned prior to passing into the town.

These are only a few of the environmental projects in which Cassiar is involved. To continually improve its dust emissions from 1970 to 1977, Cassiar Asbestos Corporation has spent in excess of 13.5 million dollars for capital-cost improvements. Within the next few years, the company is expected to spend in excess of $500,000 annually to control plant emissions through a continuous program of upgrading its existing facil- ities. All new installations will be equipped with en- vironmental control machinery, representing a further heavy investment.

The environmental control department at Cassiar has trained unionized employees in the methods of collecting and analyzing dust counts under company supervision (Fig. 4). Every two months a survey of the complete plant is done by the qualified union em- ployees. These results are forwarded to the British Columbia Ministry of Mines and Petroleum Resources as official records.

Also, in 1975, the company formed a Cassiar Mine Environmental Control Committee consisting of com- pany and union representatives. This committee is re- sponsible for surveillance of dust control measures and ensuring that the environmental control programs are progressing satisfactorily. The committee carries out an inspection of the plant once a month and then meets with management to discuss all phases of environ- mental control.

Medical tests are mandatory at Cassiar.

FIGURE 4—An environmental technologist counting fibres per cc through a 600X microscope in Cassiar’s modern environmental control laboratory.

In addition, Cassiar Asbestos and the United Steel- workers of America approached the provincial govern- ment with a proposal to form an asbestos environ- mental committee consisting of company, union and government representatives to evaluate environmental control programs and standards, and to analyze the environmental aspects of dust control at Cassiar.

In 1975, Cassiar joined the Quebec Asbestos Mining Association as a member of an environmental control group. This part of the QAMA shares information on dust control systems and improved techniques for test- ing air-borne asbestos fibre. The committee also evalu- ates the testing methods and instruments for asbestos sampling, as well as the health of employees. Cassiar is actively involved in research on the ill-effects of asbestos on health and is contributing its share to the funding of the Association and its work.

Since 1974, Cassiar has produced realistic programs to control its industrial and domestic environment. Its goal is to surpass government standards. Its aim is to ensure that company employees and their families have a pleasant, safe and healthy place in which to work and live.

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