Waste

We focus on waste reduction as a way to improve our processes, cut costs and manage our environmental and safety risks.

Our non-hazardous waste includes:

• bottom ash, sand-like ash produced from burning coal and collected from the base of plant boilers
• water treatment chemicals used at our Wabamun Lake water treatment plant
• coal refuse from our coal washing facility at Centralia, Washington state
• scrubber sludge, predominantly gypsum, from our flue gas desulphurization plant at Centralia
• paper, tires, cardboard and building and construction material

In 2004, our operations generated 2.3 million tonnes of non-hazardous waste, of which 34 per cent was recycled or reused, and 66 per cent was sent to landfills or disposal facilities.

Typical hazardous waste in our operations consists of used hydrocarbon liquids and vehicle antifreeze and waste oil. During the year, our operations generated 204 tonnes of hazardous waste.