Innovation generation

Trail’s lead-zinc smelter has been the genesis of several high-tech companies in the region

1 of 3Before: A grassy hill before Nature Works Remediation clean up can be hard for growth to happen. — Photo courtesy Nature Works Remediation Corp.

2 of 3After: It is rewarding to see the growth once clean up has taken place. — Photo courtesy Nature Works Remediation Corp.

3 of 3Teck works with SNC Lavalin to provide free-of-charge service to Trail families that will replace contaminated soil if necessary. — Photo courtesy SNC Lavalin

‹ ›

…

The relationship between Trail and the Teck Metals Ltd. lead-zinc smelter that dominates the city’s landscape has stood the test of time.

Originally known in 1896 as the British Columbia Smelting & Refining Company, the smelter processed copper and gold ores from the mines near Rossland, just up the hill. The Canadian Pacific Railway took over the operation in 1898, and in 1906, the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada assumed ownership of the smelter. That company evolved into Cominco which merged with Teck Corporation Ltd. in 2001. Although the company changed its name to Teck Resources Ltd. in 2009, most Trail locals still refer to the smelter as Cominco or the Trail operation. In the end, the name has changed but the connection to the region and the impact it has had on the development of the community, its lifestyle and its economy is notable.

As an example of how intertwined the company and the community are, look no further than the original champions in the City of Champions: the Trail Smoke Eaters. This senior men’s hockey team was, in the day, made up entirely of Cominco employees. The Smokies dominated their league and for good reason—it wasn’t unusual for scouts to recruit top hockey players and then teach them what they needed to know to work at the smelter. The associated pride in both the company and the team helped to foster a deep community regard that is still evident in Trail today.

Smelter spawns successful enterprises

Championship hockey teams aside, the smelter has spawned several other successful enterprises, both directly and indirectly. Richard Deane, the manager of energy and public affairs with Teck Metals Ltd. (Trail operations) said the smelter is the primary direct and indirect employer in the region.

“(There are) 1,500 primary, direct jobs at Trail operations,” said Deane, “and there’s probably that many or more indirectly supported as a result of Trail operations.”

The reason for that may be the constant evolution of the operation. While the primary focus is still lead-zinc, the operation is also turning to the production of specialty metals such as indium and germanium, as well as electronics recycling. 

“It’s fairly rare to see a large industrial operation as they have here in Trail survive and be financially viable and economically healthy and a big part of the community over a large range of time,” said Deane. “The key is to keep innovating, keep moving forward and keep evolving. We’ve done it successfully and we’re now one of the more competitive smelters worldwide in terms of metal refining and smelting—and environmentally, we’re one of the top in North America.”

There are a number of independent businesses with ties to the smelter: machine shops, welders and suppliers. Additionally, there are a growing number of high-tech companies whose primary client is Teck Metals Ltd. The focus on environmental protection has helped to support at least two remediation companies—Nature Works Remediation Corporation and the Trail branch of SNC Lavalin.

Using nature for keeping Trail clean and green

Matt Pommer, an electrical engineer who is now the president of Nature Works, said the genesis of his company’s operation in Trail began in the mid-1990s when Teck was working on bacterial remediation of metal—essentially a process that uses bacteria to remove metals from water that can then be returned to the watershed for agricultural use. Pommer described the relationship as being a member of a research and development team with environmental mitigation being the common goal.

Nature Works has been instrumental in treating a landfill site that was contaminated with arsenic and another that had strong lead, zinc and cadmium showings. The metal was leaching into Stony Creek, which flows into the Columbia River. Some of the remediated water is used to irrigate a tree farm; those trees, owned by Teck, are then planted around the smelter as well as the community of Trail.

“When you see the numbers coming out of the system and see how we’re cleaning up the water and seeing the trees being planted and growth where there wasn’t growth before, it is rewarding,” said Pommer.
Pommer said the company has worked with Teck to develop a process that mixes lime with bio-solid waste material from the nearby Zelstoff-Celgar pulp mill in Castlegar. The resulting concoction is then sprayed on acid rain areas surrounding the smelter—what Pommer described as a “lunar surface”—allowing revegetation. 

The results have been so impressive that a film crew recently visited the Teck operation to show the green side of the smelter—a story not often heard.

Growth begins with good soil

Amanda McCormick is an environmental consultant with SNC Lavalin, an engineering firm with offices around the world. McCormick’s focus has been soil remediation on historic metal-impacted surface soil around the smelter site and the greater Trail community. The program involves removing contaminated soil from the property or yard and replacing it with clean backfill.

“Back a hundred years ago, air quality wasn’t quite as good as it is today,” said McCormick. “Emissions were a lot higher and there is a lot of soil that still has elevated metals in it . . . and our office has become an interface for the public to come in and request sampling.”

Teck works with SNC Lavalin to provide free-of-charge service primarily to young families or anyone growing food, although all residents of the community can access the service.

“When you see actual results in your community, it’s pretty exciting to be a part of that,” said McCormick.