The End Of The Superstack

By: Nick Liard

A staple of Sudbury’s landscape will be coming down as Vale announced plans to take the Superstack out of commission by 2020.

The company states emissions have been reduced to a point where the 1,250 foot stack is no longer required and costly to run.

Vale’s Director of Canadian Projects Dave Stephanuto says when the stack was built they emitted 2,000 kilotons of sulfur dioxide, after their Clean AER project is complete they will be down to 20, a 99% reduction.

Stuart Harshaw, Vice-President of Vale’s Ontario Operations it was not only a symbol of the community but of the company as well, however he sees it as a positive step.

The Superstack will be replaced by two smaller 450 foot stacks which are said to cut gas emissions nearly in half.

By changing to two smaller stacks, natural gas consumption is estimated to drop by nearly half.

When 2020 rolls around the company will put the Superstack into care and maintenance mode until they can find the best way to demolish the concrete shell.

Harshaw says they have already received requests for pieces of the stack.