1998 ENVIRONMENT, SAFETY AND HEALTH REPORT

corporate profile

Noranda Inc. is a leading international

mining and metals company employing more
than 18,000 people at its operations and
offices around the world. Total assets were
$11 billion at year end 1998.
Noranda is one of the world’s largest
producers of zinc and nickel and a significant
producer of copper, primary and fabricated
aluminum, lead, silver, gold, sulphuric acid
and cobalt. The Company is also a major
recycler of secondary copper, nickel and
precious metals. Noranda sells commodity,
value-added and manufactured products
to its customers throughout the world.
Noranda is a Canadian company whose
common shares are listed on Canada’s major
stock exchanges (NOR). Noranda Inc. has
approximately 238 million common shares
outstanding. EdperBrascan Corporation,
the largest shareholder, owns approximately
40% of Noranda Inc.’s common shares.

1 1998 significant events

2 message to stakeholders
4 environmental policy
5 management framework
9 performance
22 legal issues
23 site locations
24 site-specific performance
28 glossary
IBC request for information
1998 significant events
Our overall compliance on air emissions was
99.97%, and on water discharges was 99.96%.
Our sulphur dioxide emissions were 217,387
tonnes, and metal emissions were 795 tonnes.
After 12 years of comprehensive environmental
auditing, we revised and strengthened our
audit system by developing a more continuous
process of self-evaluation. The new Environ-
ment, Safety and Health Assurance Program
will be launched Company-wide in 1999.
Noranda committed to adopting eight
indicators to measure our progress toward
sustainable development.
A two-year assessment of all Noranda tailings
facilities was concluded and all corrective
measures were completed.
We announced that our Altonorte copper
smelter in Chile will almost double its
production capacity. Despite this increase,
new environmental technologies will
keep the smelter’s sulphur dioxide emissions
at the current level.
There were four work-related fatalities at
Noranda operations: one involving an
employee at our zinc mine in Bathurst, New
Brunswick, and three involving employees
of contractors. As a result of these tragedies,
a mine safety task force was formed, and a
contractor safety program is being developed.
Both programs are aimed at enhancing our
overall performance.
Noranda formed an internal task force to
establish a more accurate greenhouse
gas inventory and identify opportunities to
further reduce energy consumption.
We spent $28 million on reclamation activities
and restored more than 1,300 hectares of
land. Since 1989, we have been making annual
financial provisions against earnings toward
the cost of future closures and reclamation
activities. The unutilized provisions now total
$231 million.
The Brunswick zinc mine implemented a
paste backfill system. This new technology
for stabilizing underground excavations
currently uses approximately 67% of
Brunswick’s tailings with a cement binder –
an important step in reducing the long-term
storage of tailings above ground.
Through an intensive training program, the
Horne copper smelter at Rouyn-Noranda,
Quebec, has reduced back injuries dramatically
since 1996. Injuries to the spinal column,
which accounted for 33% of all injuries in
1995, decreased to 14% in 1998.
Note: All figures are in Canadian dollars and all measurements are metric
unless otherwise noted.
This report contains information on Noranda’s wholly-owned operations
and its joint venture companies. Detailed environment, safety and health
information for Falconbridge Limited (of which we own 49.9%) can be
found in Falconbridge’s 1998 Sustainable Development Report. For details
on how to receive a copy, please refer to the back cover of this report.
Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report 
message to stakeholders
1998 was not one of our best
years. While Noranda continued
to make environmental progress at
a satisfactory rate, we suffered four
work-related fatalities at three of
our operations.
In February, an employee at
the Brunswick mine was killed in
David Kerr, a rock fall. In April an employee
President and CEO of a contractor died at the
Bell Allard mine near Matagami,
Quebec after falling down an
open shaft. Then in August, two
more contractor employees were
killed at our CEZinc refinery
in Valleyfield, Quebec when an
explosion occurred within the
truck they were standing next to.
Our condolences go to the fami-
Dave Goldman, lies and friends of these men.
Chief Operating Officer While accidents are an unfor-
tunate and unwelcome part of life
in any heavy industrial operation,
fatalities are unacceptable. At
Noranda, we have always worked
hard to avoid accidents by ensur-
ing that comprehensive safety
training and protective measures
are in place. In the wake of the
tragic events of last year, however,
David Rodier, Senior we have renewed our efforts. The
Vice-President, Environment, first step was to assemble a task
Safety and Health force on mine safety (see sidebar
on page ). A group of senior
safety experts and underground mine managers are
determining ways to improve our underground safety per-
formance. Best practices and the latest research are being
evaluated. An action plan is to be developed in .
Noranda’s Reportable Injury Frequency (RIF) for 
was ., compared to . in . We are focusing on
improvements through various initiatives, both company-
wide and at individual operations. While eliminating
accidents is our ultimate goal, we are aiming to reduce
our injury frequency by one-third by .
 Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report
Environmentally, our measured performance was again
well within the high standards we set for ourselves.
Compliance on air and water emissions was almost %,
with air compliance at .% and water at .%.
There were other notable accomplishments during
the year:
• Our auditing program, considered by many to be a
benchmark in the field of environment, safety and
health auditing, was upgraded. It has evolved mostly
from compliance audits conducted every three years to
a more systematic process requiring both ongoing
self-evaluations and regular management framework
audits. We are confident this upgrade will take us
to the next level of performance.
• Noranda has invested millions of dollars in the reduc-
tion of sulphur dioxide (SO2) at our copper operations
over the past several years. In , we acquired the
remaining shares of the company that owns the Altonorte
custom copper smelter in Chile. Our three-year,
$ million expansion program includes a substantial
commitment to SO2 abatement. While consumption
will roughly double to , tonnes of copper con-
centrate per year, emissions of SO2 will not increase.
Furthermore, as a closed-loop system, Altonorte will
not discharge any liquid effluents into the environment.
• Tailings dam management is a major concern in
the mining industry, especially in the aftermath of
catastrophic dam collapses in Spain and South America
in recent years. In , Noranda hired geotechnical
experts to do a comprehensive study of all our tailings
dams. The report was generally favourable. Where risks
were present we fortified our dams, in one case – at
our closed Geco mine in northern Ontario – with a
significant $. million upgrade. Also in , Noranda
led a team of experts from Canadian mining companies
in the production of A Guide to the Management of
Tailings Facilities, a comprehensive and practical guide-
book published during the year by the Mining
Association of Canada.
While accidents are an unfortunate and unwelcome part of life in any heavy industrial operation,
fatalities are unacceptable. At Noranda, we have always worked hard to avoid accidents by ensuring
that comprehensive safety training and protective measures are in place. In the wake of the tragic
events of last year, however, we have redoubled our efforts.
• During , our main sulphuric acid plants at Mines
Gaspé in Murdochville, the Horne smelter in Rouyn-
Noranda, and CEZinc in Valleyfield – all in Quebec –
were working on Phase  of the Responsible Care®
certification from the Canadian Chemical Producers
Association (CCPA). Having achieved Phase  of this
rigorous risk management program, they will be
inspected for the next level of certification in .
One of Noranda’s most perplexing environmental
challenges is decreasing the emission of greenhouse gases.
As a supporter of the Canadian Industry Program for
Energy Conservation (CIPEC), we have consistently
achieved that program’s %-per-year reduction in energy
consumption, a ten-year commitment from  to .
In fact, Noranda’s energy consumption per unit of
production decreased .% from  to .
Overall, despite increased production, CO2 emissions
have remained fairly constant at , kilotonnes per
year since  due to energy efficiency efforts, increased
recycling of metals, improved technologies, and the clos-
ing of mines. At our Brunswick lead smelter, production
has doubled since  with no increase in CO2.
However, Canada’s commitment to the Kyoto Protocol
presents a less achievable target. At Kyoto, Canada com-
mitted to a % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
by –, based on  levels. Factoring in growth,
this translates into a much higher actual reduction, in
the neighbourhood of % to %. We do not yet have
the means and method whereby this can be achieved
for Noranda.
In addition to the expected growth of our operations
over the next decade, Noranda faces a special challenge
at our new magnesium plant now being constructed
near Asbestos, Quebec. Magnesium production will begin
with us using sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), a non-toxic
greenhouse gas with a CO2 equivalency of an extraordi-
nary , times. We have committed to finding an
alternative to SF6, with a complete phase-out of its use by
. Meanwhile, our greenhouse gas reduction efforts
will be severely compromised.
Finally, in  Noranda committed to using eight
indicators to measure progress toward sustainable develop-
ment. These are the first indicators we feel confident in
tracking on a year-to-year basis. They include:
. SO2 emissions in Noranda’s copper business
. Metal emissions to air
. Energy consumption
. Minimizing our footprint
. Community dialogue
. Safety
. Profitable growth
. Environmental capital expenditures.
Noranda intends to start with these eight basic mea-
surements, learning the risks and benefits of the process
before adding new indicators that will offer a broader
picture of our overall environment, health and safety
performance (see pages  and ).
In a year marked by both tragedy and continued
environmental excellence, I would like to thank our
employees for their commitment to Noranda’s ambitious
environment, safety and health programs. Continuous
improvement at a high level is only possible through a
consistently determined effort that extends from the
corporate office to the many places where our people do
their work. I can say with assurance that Noranda is a
company that has recognized this imperative, and Noranda
employees deserve the credit for our ongoing success.
David W. Kerr
President and Chief Executive Officer
Dave Goldman
Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer
David Rodier
Senior Vice-President, Environment, Safety and Health
Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report 
environmental policy

Strive
to be exemplary leaders in environmental management by minimizing impact
on employees, the public, customers, and the natural environment.

Commit
to the principle of sustainable development, which means that our economic
decisions will not take priority over considerations of environment, safety
and health.

Design,
operate and evaluate facilities to ensure that effective control systems are
in place to minimize risks to environment, safety and health.

Implement
site-specific environmental, health, hygiene, safety, and emergency
response policies and programs.

Develop
product stewardship programs to protect employees, the public, customers,
and the environment by providing risk management information on the
safe use, transport, and disposal of our products.

Conduct
regular environmental, health, hygiene, safety, and emergency response
audits and implement action plans resulting from those audits.

Communicate
openly and on a timely basis with employees, the public, governments, and
other stakeholders on activities involving environment, safety and health.

Report
regularly to the Board of Directors on environment, health, hygiene,
safety, and emergency preparedness.

Noranda operations take responsibility for implementing the principles of

this policy through the commitments and actions of each employee.

 Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report

management framework
Corporate governance
Noranda’s environmental policy, which has been in place
since  and was revised in , describes our com-
mitment to environmental responsibility and excellence
in health and safety. But a policy is only as good as the
people who support it, and Noranda’s progress over the
years is due to the active involvement of our employees.
They are led by a dedicated team of skilled specialists.
In all, Noranda’s wholly-owned facilities employ approxi-
mately  environmental specialists,  industrial hygiene
specialists,  full-time and six part-time occupational
health specialists, and  full-time and nine part-time
safety specialists.
Noranda’s Board of Directors also plays an important
role. The Environment, Safety and Health Committee’s
responsibilities include ensuring:
• that an appropriate and effective environmental and
occupational health and safety management
system is in place;
• that responsibilities are effectively delegated;
• that the necessary corporate resources are available for
effective environmental management;
• that management reports are accurate and complete,
and all significant environmental and occupational
safety and health matters are reported expediently
to the Board;
• and that recommendations are made to avoid the
recurrence of any significant environmental or health
and safety problem.
The committee met three times in . Its members
were Alex G. Balogh (Chairman), David L. Bumstead,
René Dufour, Robert J. Harding, Frank J. McKenna and
Alfred Powis.
Auditing for assurance
After  years of comprehensive company-wide auditing,
Noranda’s environment, safety and health auditing system
underwent a major redesign in . Our traditional
system was based on cyclical, compliance-based audits
done every three years by teams of Noranda auditors.
The new Environment, Safety and Health Assurance
Process provides for continuous improvement, with the
management framework as its foundation.
Tested successfully in pilot audits at six Noranda
facilities during the year, the new process better integrates
auditing with each operation’s environment, safety and
health (ESH) management framework. Noranda’s ESH
management framework is based on the environmental
management system standards developed by the Interna-
tional Organization for Standardization (ISO). It requires
each operation to develop and implement a framework
that will allow it to carry out its commitment to continu-
ally improve in the areas of environment, safety and health.
The assurance process was developed to address
management concerns which had surfaced during the
audit program. Among these concerns was the number
of repeat deficiencies from audit to audit. Although the
deficiencies were often corrected, the root cause remained.
“The emphasis placed on self-evaluations within
Noranda’s ESH Assurance Process, together
with the regular external Noranda management
framework audits, will provide the added
certainty that our operations are striving to
continually improve their performance in
all areas of environment, safety and health.”
– Ed Villeneuve, Vice-President, Environmental
Projects, Audits, and Industrial Hygiene
Until the cause has been properly identified and eliminated,
problems will likely persist, thus hampering our ability
to progress. Guidelines for the development and imple-
mentation of all aspects of the new assurance process are
available to operations.
The ESH Assurance Process will be launched in .
To facilitate the implementation, Noranda operations have
been divided into three tiers. Tier One operations, those
with existing ESH management frameworks, will further
enhance their self-evaluation procedures, train their
employees to conduct these evaluations, and report on the
results. External teams of Noranda auditors will evaluate
whether the systems have been properly implemented and
are functioning in . Tier Two operations will begin
to develop the elements of a ESH management frame-
work and, if necessary, conduct a gap analysis to identify
any issues requiring attention. Management framework
audits will begin at these operations in . Tier Three
operations include those sites that are either new to
Noranda or still require support in developing and imple-
menting a management framework. The traditional
auditing program will be maintained for these operations
in , as the transition toward the implementation
of an ESH management framework continues.
Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report 
management framework

Risk evaluation performance at all operations. Future improvements

During , Noranda Aluminum’s New Madrid smelter
conducted a hazard and operability (HAZOP) study
on one-third of its partially constructed $ million anode
carbon improvement facility. The study did not reveal
any major deficiencies in the facility’s safety plans. The
remaining two-thirds of the project will be studied in
. The facility will be completed by mid-year.
CCR refinery A new $ million plant for the recov-
ery of antimony and bismuth, two impurities found
in copper-bearing minerals, was constructed at the CCR
refinery in . The recovery process includes the
distillation of hydrochloric acid, an extremely toxic and
hazardous substance. The plant was designed not only
to prevent an accidental release of acid vapours, but to
isolate workers from any possible exposure should a release
occur. The infrastructure includes highly sensitive detec-
tors and a ventilation system able to rapidly remove air
from enclosed spaces.
CCR refinery also stores approximately  tonnes
of liquid SO2, a hazardous substance used to precipitate
selenium during the refining process. In , the
company modernized its installation with an SO2 gas
detection system and a series of automatic shut-off valves
to limit the loss of SO2 gas should a failure occur.
CCR is currently evaluating various alternatives to the
use of liquid SO2.
Training
Since , more than , Noranda employees at our
mines and major smelters and refineries have learned
about the environmental implications of their work through
Noranda Environmental Awareness Training (NEAT ©)
program. In , approximately  production and
maintenance employees at the CCR refinery in Montreal
East, Quebec will receive NEAT. A third-party evaluation
of the program’s effectiveness during the year confirmed
that it had made a significant contribution to environmental
to the program will be made by each operation to suit
its needs.
During , American Racing initiated the Safety
Training Observation Program (STOP) of safety aware-
ness training for employees at Plant No.  and Plant
No.  in Rancho Dominguez, California, as well as
its Gardena, California plant. The program requires
supervisors to observe employee safety performance and
discuss possible improvements and noteworthy behaviour
with individual employees. Overall performance is
quantified on ‘report cards’ for each area of the plant,
the goal being continuous improvement.
Noranda Aluminum’s smelter in New Madrid, Missouri
is planning to train about  employees through its
environmental awareness training program in .
Responsible care
Noranda is the only mining and metals company in
Canada that has chosen to join the CCPA and become
certified under its Responsible Care program for
the safe handling of hazardous chemicals. In , our
sulphuric acid operations in Quebec earned Phase 
Responsible Care certification, successfully demonstrating
that proper systems are in place and are being tracked
for measurable progress. We are currently working on
Phase  at Mines Gaspé in Murdochville, the Horne
smelter in Rouyn-Noranda, CEZinc in Valleyfield and
the Noranda Technology Centre in Pointe-Claire, all
located in Quebec. These facilities will be verified
“The public is entitled to know what can go
wrong at a major industrial facility, what we are
doing to prevent it and how we are organized
to respond if something does go wrong. It’s also
important that they know how to react to avoid
any adverse health effects.”
– Jacques Leclerc, Environmental Superintendent,
Horne smelter

Back care at the Horne

At Noranda’s Horne copper smelter at Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, back injuries
have been reduced dramatically since 1996 through a program of educational
seminars combined with an on-site gymnasium. The program, which includes
eight one-hour seminars on subjects such as the mechanics of the spinal col-
umn and techniques for proper lifting, has been taken in whole or in part by
800 employees. The gymnasium is used regularly by approximately one quarter
of the employees. Injuries to the spinal column, which accounted for 33% of all
on-the-job injuries in 1995, decreased to 14% in 1998. Employees at the smelter
are generally healthier, and because back injuries tend to be both debilitating
and persistent, the cost of sickness claims has been reduced substantially.

 Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report

 by the CCPA in  to ensure that our systems are
resulting in performance improvements. Third-party
auditors will evaluate issues such as life-cycle impacts
and product stewardship.
As Noranda’s Magnola magnesium project approaches
its first production of metal in , Responsible Care
will become an integral part of the environmental man-
agement system being developed for the operation.
Management intends to have a third-party Responsible
Care audit in . In keeping with Responsible Care
principles, Magnola created an internal emergency response
committee in . In , local residents and the civil
security branch of the local police will be invited to join.
The committee will eventually contribute to the design of
an integrated emergency response plan for the plant.
“We are complying with Responsible Care
because we see it as an effective way to manage
our risks and ensure that we become a
recognized industry leader.”
– Seay Harder, Manager, Sulphuric Acid Risk
Management, Noranda Inc.
Horne smelter In preparation for Responsible Care
certification, the Horne smelter met four times in 
with a community advisory panel in Rouyn-Noranda
to explain and discuss emergency response at the smelter in
case of an SO2 or sulphur trioxide (SO3) release. Working
with the panel and local government officials is a prelude
to emergency response meetings that will be held in 
with the general public in Rouyn-Noranda.
Product stewardship
Under Responsible Care principles, chemical producers
are required to evaluate the handling of their products by
customers to ensure, where possible, that safety measures
are in place. Noranda visits the premises of all Canadian
customers buying sulphuric acid to evaluate their
equipment, employee training, handling procedures,
and intended uses. Our policy is simple: we will
only sell acid to companies that handle it and intend to
use it in a safe and environmentally responsible way.
American Racing developed a report in  for
Chrysler Corporation, one of its customers, detailing the
hazardous materials used in its products, such as chromium
for plating. The goal is to determine recyclability of the
products and establish a quantitative baseline of the hazardous
materials in preparation for reducing or eliminating them.
Noranda also conducted a comprehensive marine risk
analysis in , reviewing all exposures to risk, from
how we select marine carriers to how we train employees
on loading procedures and equipment operation. The
analysis led to several improvements in our procedures.
Emergency preparedness
In , Noranda and the chemical producer E.I. du Pont
de Nemours and Company (DuPont) formed Noranda
DuPont LLC, a joint venture that markets and distributes
Noranda’s and DuPont’s sulphuric acid. The partnership,
with access to DuPont’s formidable network of emergency
response teams in the United States, has improved
Noranda’s ability to rapidly bring fully trained and equipped
personnel to the site of any transport accident. In Canada,
Noranda and Falconbridge Limited established a coop-
erative response arrangement in . By combining
efforts, we are able to cover a broader geographic area,
reducing response times and lowering costs.
Noranda Aluminum retained a consultant in  to
conduct a formal risk assessment of its New Madrid,
Missouri smelter in case of a major earthquake. Soil borings
and sonic testing were completed in late . A report
will be issued in . The smelter is located on a
significant geological fault line with a history of minor
tremors and one major earthquake in .
Transportation incidents
Noranda intensified the tracking of acid-related ground
transportation incidents in , developing a more
comprehensive system for investigating and reporting on
spills and near-miss incidents, within both our own
operations and those of customers. For each significant
incident, recommendations are made and actions taken to
avoid a recurrence. In , Noranda transported more
than . million tonnes of acid, recording  such incidents.
In , a rail car carrying acid from Noranda split in
two while stationary because of a manufacturing fault. In
response, we inspected all  of our tank cars of similar
design in  and found six with a similar flaw. These
have been repaired.
One rail accident occurred in , when several
tanker cars were derailed near the village of Portland Mills,
Pennsylvania. One tanker was punctured, losing approxi-
mately  tons of sulphuric acid. As a precautionary
measure, the village was evacuated. Trained employees
from DuPont and Noranda were dispatched to the
site. The spill was fully cleaned up and the affected
area revegetated.
Brunswick mine A contractor that transports copper
concentrate from the Brunswick mine near Bathurst, New
Brunswick experienced two trucking accidents during
. In both cases, trucks overturned and their contents
spilled onto the roadside. Emergency response crews
rapidly removed all concentrate and contaminated soil.
There were no lasting environmental effects.
Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report 
management framework

Tailings dam risk assessment Year 2000

Incidents involving the failure of tailings dams in Spain
and Guyana over the past few years have alerted the
mining industry to the need for improved risk assessment.
Noranda manages four active and  inactive tailings
facilities in Canada and the United States. While all oper-
ating dams are inspected frequently by company personnel,
independent consultants provide a more comprehensive
evaluation of each dam’s performance on an annual
basis. Each dam was classified according to risk, and cor-
rective actions were recommended. In a second level
of assessment, independent technical experts conducted a
comprehensive review that included computer simulations
of dam stability under major seismic and rainfall events.
All corrective measures were completed by .
Tailings management guide
During , the Mining Association of Canada published
A Guide to the Management of Tailings Facilities, a compre-
hensive guidebook of practical information and ISO-type
checklists to assist mining companies in designing,
constructing and managing closure of their tailings facili-
ties with minimal environmental risk. The guide, the
first of its kind in the world, was prepared by a team of
 representatives from Canadian mining companies,
led by Noranda. It was subsequently distributed to all
Noranda facilities where tailings are stored, and a review
was conducted to ensure compliance with its principles.
A workshop was also held in January  for Noranda
tailings facility managers to review dam design criteria
and to address operating concerns.
The mining industry, like all other industrial sectors,
has identified Year  (YK) readiness as a business
risk. The industry uses some of the most advanced
computerized equipment in the world, such as robot-
ics, remote control systems and satellite-linked global
positioning systems. The risk of YK problems may be
lower for newer mines, but older operations may have
a wide range of systems of varying ages, many with
embedded chips, and so may require extra resources to
ensure compliance.
Of equal concern, however, are the potential serious
environmental and health and safety consequences
of YK non-compliance. These consequences could
involve a failure of process controls in our sulphuric
acid plants or of gas monitoring equipment in mines,
or could result in breakdowns in the hoisting systems
that transport miners into the mine and back up.
In , Noranda developed guidelines to provide
a framework for the planning and execution of YK
projects, with a priority given to remediation and testing
of health, safety and environmental systems. Final
production and testing of process control systems is
scheduled to be completed by the third quarter of .
Noranda’s contingency planning will continue to
receive significant attention during . While
Noranda continues to reduce the level of uncertainty
about its systems, there can be no guarantee that
important third parties on which Noranda depends
will not face significant business interruptions that
may impact Noranda.

Long-term security
Noranda’s Tailings Dam Safety Evaluation Program revealed that the dam at
Noranda’s closed Geco copper and zinc mine in northern Ontario could possibly
become unstable over the next several decades, posing a threat to the Black
River which flows into Lake Superior. In 1998, to ensure the dam was properly
secured, the Company reengineered almost 2.5 kilometres of the slope, moving
more than 300,000 cubic metres of rock and tailings at a cost of $1.5 million.

 Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report

performance

How we are reporting Continuous improvement for presenting site-specific data by

This section of the report contains We are always striving to improve the providing individual site environment,
detailed information on environment, quality of our environment, safety safety and energy reports with ten-year
safety and health issues, actions and and health reports as part of our com- comparison data. We look forward
overall performance for Noranda’s mitment to continuous improvement. to receiving your comments again this
wholly-owned operations, as well Each year, through various feedback year. You will find a feedback card
as information on the new Antamina mechanisms, we ask our employees between pages  and .
copper/zinc project (of which Noranda and various stakeholder groups to In addition to the information
owns .%) now under development provide us with candid comments and contained in the  Environment,
in Peru. Information on Falconbridge suggestions on how we can improve. Safety and Health Report, several of
Limited (of which we own .%) Here are a few examples of the our operations produce site-specific
can be found in Falconbridge’s many comments we received on environmental reports. If you would
 Sustainable Development Report. our  Environment, Safety and like to receive a copy of any of these
For details on how to receive a copy, Health Report: reports, please refer to the inside
please refer to the back cover of back cover for details on how to con-
this report. “Uncommonly fine writing and tact us. You can also obtain more
detail – one of the best reports detailed information about Noranda,
The performance sections comprise we’ve seen.” our activities, current news and events,
three areas of information: and our environmental management
. On pages  and  we outline “More on sustainability – an program, including previous environ-
our principles for sustainable devel- important factor for future gen- mental reports, by visiting our web
opment, along with eight indicators erations and the environment ...” page at www.noranda.com.
intended to help measure our
progress toward sustainability. “Charts with last five years
. Pages  to  describe in more compared ...”
detail the various environment,
safety and health issues that we are “Glad to see you admit errors as
grappling with, along with a well as successes.”
number of initiatives that we have
taken to improve our overall “More information on action
performance and help build part- being initiated to improve
nerships with our stakeholders. overall performance.”
. Pages  to  provide site-specific
environment, energy, and safety As a result, we have made several
information with ten-year compari- changes to this year’s report. For
son data, along with information example, we have expanded the report
on various environment-related to include more detailed information
spills, releases and legal issues that on environment, safety and health
our operations experienced in . issues such as greenhouse gas emissions
and waste management; and we have
Note: All figures are in Canadian dollars and all included more site-specific examples
measurements are metric unless otherwise noted.
of how we are improving our perfor-
mance, such as the contractor safety
training program our Magnola mag-
nesium project has introduced. As
well, we have changed the format

Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report 

performance

Sustainable development
Our Environmental Policy commits Noranda to the principle of sustainable Noranda’s sustainable development
development. Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without principles are to:
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
In practical terms, Noranda’s economic decisions must integrate the relevant Environment
considerations of environment. safety and health. • minimize the physical, chemical
and biological effects of our activi-
The basis of Noranda’s business and metallurgical company, sustain- ties on the environment;
is meeting society’s needs for metals. ability means that our products must • nurture excellence by promoting
Unlike most materials, metals are meet society’s needs in a sustainable environmental education, training
not consumed but can be recovered manner; the company itself must and research programs within our
from end-of-life products and recycled be sustainable; the knowledge, skills workforce and communities;
repeatedly to meet future needs. and wealth acquired by our employees
Recycling extends the efficient use of must prepare them for other employ- Social
metals, reduces environmental pres- ment opportunities; and the com- • foster constructive dialogue with
sures associated with waste disposal, munities in which we operate must interested parties on the conduct
and provides major energy savings. be sustainable, thanks in part to of our activities;
Aluminum, copper, lead, nickel and the infrastructure and social legacies • ensure that our activities are
precious metals are among the world’s established as a result of mining sensitive to cultural considerations,
most highly recycled commodities. activities. Noranda strives to minimize employee and public health, and
But secondary production cannot meet its environmental footprint through the needs of future generations;
all of society’s needs due to the long innovative and environmentally sound
service lives of metal-containing design, proficient operational and Economic
products and the rising expectations environmental management, and site • ensure that our activities maintain
of growing populations, particularly restoration to minimize impacts the long-term sustainability of
in rapidly developing countries. on other natural resources and sup- resources;
Minerals are a non-renewable but port other productive land uses. • strengthen the financial and com-
abundant natural resource. Reserves We are committed to minimizing petitive position of the Noranda
can be augmented by exploration and emissions to air, water and soil; group of companies.
by technological advances that increase preventing adverse health effects for
resource utilization and reduce costs. our employees and our communities; Based on these principles, we have
Mining at a particular location is a increasing metals recycling; and selected key indicators to show our
finite activity, as each ore body will promoting the safe use of our products progress in responding to current
eventually be depleted. For a mining by our customers. sustainable development challenges.

Environmental expenditures
In 1998, Noranda’s wholly-owned business units spent $207 million on environmental operating
expenditures. These costs include the operation and maintenance of water treatment plants,
environmental control measures for SO2 and metals, and mine site rehabilitation activities.

($ millions)
Emergency
preparedness
Industrial
hygiene
Health
and safety
Waste disposal/
storage
Liquid
effluents

Air emissions

Reclamation

0 10 20 30 40 50

Capital
Expensed

 Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report

Our indicators are:
1. SO2 emissions in Noranda’s
copper business Reduction of
SO2 emissions continues to be one of
Noranda’s greatest challenges. Major
capital expenditures have been made to
reduce emissions. Our target is for our
Canadian operations to achieve %
capture by , a % reduction from
the  release level. Noranda has
set the same goal of % capture for
the Altonorte smelter in Chile.
2. Metal emissions to air Our
copper and zinc operations release
arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury and
nickel in addition to copper and zinc.
Noranda previously committed to
reduce total emissions of arsenic, cad-
mium, lead, mercury and nickel from
our Canadian smelters and refineries
by % from  levels by .
We are striving to meet or surpass that
target by .
3. Energy consumption Energy
use is an indicator of operational
efficiency and a measure of greenhouse
gas emissions. Noranda committed
to improve energy efficiency at our
Canadian operations by % per year
(energy consumed per unit of produc-
tion) between  and  through
the Canadian Industry Program
for Energy Conservation (CIPEC).
We continue to meet that objective
and to search for cost-effective means
to further reduce greenhouse gas
emissions and energy costs.
4. Minimizing our footprint
Mining activities are inherently disrup-
tive to the land. Noranda tracks the
area of land currently disturbed, new
land disturbed, and land restored each
year, keeping in mind that there will
always be a certain portion of disturbed
land in active use.
5. Community dialogue Noranda
is committed to fostering constructive
dialogue with interested parties con-
cerning the conduct of our activities.
We particularly strive for open dialogue
and transparency at the community
level. To date, eight of our major
operations have established community
liaison committees to discuss envi-
ronment and economic issues. This
practice will be extended to all
operations whose size warrants the
formation of a committee.
6. Safety To ensure that our activi-
ties are sensitive to employee and
public health while respecting cultural
differences, Noranda promotes the
same safety, health and environmental
principles at all operations. We report
safety performance on a consistent basis
and have developed internal indicators
to assess the effectiveness of health
and safety management.
7. Profitable growth Business
must be profitable in order to be
socially and environmentally sustain-
able. Noranda has set a target of
% return on investment over the
full commodity price cycle.
8. Environmental capital
expenditures Noranda’s past
investments in environmental improve-
ments have resulted in lower emissions.
We will continue to make necessary
environmental investments, but
environmental capital spending as a
percentage of total capital expenditures
will decrease as we allocate capital
to investments that create value while
enhancing social, environmental
and economic sustainability.
Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report
A sustainable business
Noranda is the world’s largest custom
processor of copper and precious
metals-based feeds through its smelt-
ing and refining facilities in Canada. Of
the one million tonnes of feed processed
annually, approximately 15% is copper
and precious metals-based recyclable
materials. The versatility of Noranda’s
metallurgical processes and our strong
working relationships with an expand-
ing network of suppliers to develop in-
novative recycling solutions have been
key to Noranda’s growth as a recycler.
In 1996, Noranda formed a strate-
gic alliance with Hewlett-Packard to
recycle precious metals and reusable
components from used electronic
equipment. This alliance was expand-
ed in 1998 with the opening of the
US$3.5 million metal separation plant
in Roseville, California. The new plant
shreds and separates metals into
distinct streams for sale to foundries
and smelters, including Noranda’s
Horne smelter. It has the capacity to
process 20 million pounds of metals
a year, and it is estimated that it will
pay for itself within four years. It also
strengthens Noranda’s position as a
market leader in the recycling of elec-
tronic products.

performance
Sulphur dioxide
Smelting and refining operations emit SO2, which is one of the primary causes
of acid rain. When the rain falls onto lakes it increases their acidity and impairs
their ability to sustain aquatic life. Emissions from the smelting of sulphide ore
also contain metal particles that are released into the atmosphere. These particles
persist in soils and aquatic sediments and can be toxic when they accumulate.
In , Noranda’s SO2 emissions
totalled , tonnes. Our target is
to achieve % sulphur fixation by
. This represents a % reduction
from the  level.
Horne smelter The Horne copper
smelter in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec
achieved a .% compliance as mea-
sured by SO2 monitoring of ambient
air in the community. Even though
precautions are taken, fugitive emissions
escaped the smelter during operational
irregularities. One emission was
recorded in July  by electronic
monitors, and exceeded limits for
a few minutes. Another, in October,
was not sensed by monitors but was
reported by local residents. A meeting
was subsequently held with residents,
municipal and health officials, and
representatives of Quebec’s Ministry
of the Environment. The smelter
committed to improve monitoring of
fugitive emissions, identify causes
and work to minimize the inconve-
nience to the local community.
In advance of more restrictive
government regulations on SO2 and
particulate emissions that will take
effect in , the Horne smelter has
been testing its planned strategy to
raise production of the new Noranda
 Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report
constant from  to , at approxi-
mately , tonnes per year. The
smelter’s sulphur fixation rate is at %.
CEZinc The CEZinc zinc refinery
in Valleyfield, Quebec has a sulphur
converter installed in . The fixation rate of %. In , it released
tests will determine where additional less than , tonnes of SO2.
investments should be made. To
meet the new rules, the smelter intends
to achieve % SO2 fixation by .
It is currently at %.
Mines Gaspé With the optimiza-
tion of the No.  converter in ,
the Mines Gaspé copper smelter in SO2 emissions compared to
total metal production
Murdochville, Quebec now captures Since 1985, Noranda’s smelting and refining
% to % more SO2 than in , operations have reduced SO2 emissions by
while increasing production by , 57%, while increasing refined metal production
to , tonnes of concentrate. The by 22%. SO2 emissions decreased from
504,176 tonnes in 1985 to 217,387 tonnes
overall sulphur fixation rate is .%. in 1998. Our target is to achieve 90% sulphur
The smelter also installed a third ambi- fixation by 2002.
ent air monitor near its facilities to (000 tonnes)
better enable us to react to stack SO2
emissions. In , ambient SO2
levels exceeded regulated hourly levels 1000
1,000
twice and daily levels once, a %
improvement over .
750
Brunswick smelter A new high-
efficiency catalytic converter, installed 500
500
in the Brunswick lead smelter’s acid
plant in late  at a cost of more than 250
$ million, reduced the plant’s emis-
sions of SO2 by approximately %,
from , parts per million (ppm) 00
85 90 95 98 02
to  ppm. Due to an increase in target
production, however, the plant’s total SO2
volume of SO2 emissions has remained Metal produced
Improved sulphur fixation at Altonorte
In 1998, Noranda acquired the 75% it did not already own of the Altonorte
copper smelter near the city of Antofagasta in northern Chile. In a three-year,
US$170 million expansion program that began in 1998, the smelter’s capacity
will be doubled to 820,000 tonnes of concentrate per year. Despite this increase,
SO2 emissions will remain constant because of new environmental technologies,
specifically the installation of a continuous reactor similar to the Noranda reactor
at the Horne smelter. Sulphur fixation is currently 80% at Altonorte. By 2001 it
will increase to 90%. New technologies will also keep arsenic emissions below
government requirements and create a closed-loop system with no liquid effluents
leaving the smelter.
Greenhouse gases and energy consumption
Canada’s commitment to the Kyoto Protocol presents an enormous challenge.
Population growth, climate, and the energy-intensive nature of our economy
and its products are just some of the factors that Canada has to grapple with. At
Kyoto, Canada committed to a % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by
– from  levels. Canada’s emissions are projected to increase, how-
ever, above  levels by % by  and % by . Therefore a % to
% cut in greenhouse gas emissions will be necessary to meet this commitment.

The mining sector and Noranda Partnership Program to reduce its

currently support CIPEC. It established
an energy efficiency improvement
target of % per year (energy consumed
per unit of production) between 
and . Noranda has performed
very well against this target. Our energy
consumed per unit of production has
decreased .% from  to .
Despite substantial production
increases, Noranda’s overall CO2 con-
tribution has remained fairly constant,
at , kilotonnes per year since
 due to energy efficiency efforts,
increased recycling of metals, improved
technologies, and the closing of mines
such as Geco and Mattabi.
Brunswick smelter The Brunswick
lead smelter today produces almost
twice as much lead as it did in 
with no increase in CO2. At our Gaspé
copper smelter, an expansion com-
pleted in  has increased production
without increasing CO2 emissions.
However, our new Magnola magnesium
plant now being constructed near
Asbestos, Quebec poses a major chal-
lenge because of its necessary but
temporary use of SF6, a greenhouse
gas with an exceedingly high CO2
equivalency (see sidebar at right).
Noranda has established a task force
on the Kyoto Protocol. The task force is
currently determining accurate green-
CF4 and C2F6 perfluorocarbon (PFC)
greenhouse gases. Companies in the
program have been asked to achieve an
improvement of % to % by .
Through the installation of computer
controls on all reduction cells, the
New Madrid smelter is close to a %
reduction from its  levels. In ,
operational improvements reduced
PFC gases at the smelter by % over
 levels. The more efficient opera-
tion of the reduction cells has also
resulted in significant energy savings.
Norandal For the second straight
year, Norandal’s Huntingdon, Tennessee
aluminum rolling mill reduced its
use of natural gas by approximately
% through a comprehensive program
of improved maintenance and operat-
ing control.
Refined metal production and
energy consumption
Noranda remains committed to stabilizing
energy consumption at 1990 levels by 2000.
Between 1990 and 1998, Noranda experienced
a 22% increase in metal production while
using only 2.7% more energy.
(000 tonnes) (petajoules)
1,000
Magnola: greenhouse
gas phase-out
The production of magnesium will
begin with Noranda using sulphur hexa-
fluoride (SF6), an especially potent
greenhouse gas, which protects mol-
ten magnesium from oxidization during
casting, and is used throughout the
magnesium industry. Although non-
toxic, SF6 has a CO2 equivalency of
approximately 24,000 times. Magnola’s
expected annual output of more than
80 tonnes of SF6 will effectively triple
Noranda’s entire annual greenhouse
gas contribution to 3,000 kilotonnes of
CO2 or its equivalent. After an exten-
sive public consultation process on
the Magnola project, Noranda negoti-
ated an SF6 reduction agreement with
Quebec’s Ministry of the Environment.
For the first 18 months of operation,
the Magnola plant must operate below
an SF6 consumption rate of 88 tonnes
per year, reducing its consumption
after that time to 36 tonnes per year,
and phasing out the use of the gas
by 2005. Magnola and the Noranda
Technology Centre have been evaluating
the use of SO2 as a suitable replace-
ment gas, and will continue to seek
environmentally sounder alternatives.
40

house gas inventories for all Noranda

900 39
operations and reviewing additional
energy conservation opportunities,
800 38
metal production trends, and potential
technological improvements. An
action plan will be prepared in . 700 37

Noranda Aluminum Since , 600

600 36

Noranda Aluminum’s New Madrid

500 35
smelter has been working under 94 95 96 97 98
the U.S. federal Voluntary Aluminum
000 tonnes
Petajoules

Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report 

performance

Metal emissions
Smelting and refining operations emit SO2 and various metals into the Water
atmosphere. Gases emitted from the smelting of sulphide ore also contain Noranda’s metallurgical operations,
particulate metals that are released into the atmosphere and persist in soils mines (active and inactive), and milling
and aquatic sediments. facilities operate under  discharge
Acid mine drainage is one of the most challenging issues facing the mining permits, with some sites having more
industry. When sulphur-bearing rocks and tailings are exposed to oxygen, than one permit. At the  discharge
the resulting sulphuric acid leaches metals from the rock. Our target is to reduce locations,  were % in compliance
metal emissions by % by . with regulations during  and
 were between % and %
Air Brunswick mine The New compliance, with one below %.
Noranda’s metal emissions to the Brunswick Ministry of the Environ- Overall compliance with water
atmosphere have decreased by % ment requires our Brunswick zinc discharge requirements during the
since , although they continue mine to conduct stack sampling every year was .%.
to rise on a year-over-year basis as two years to ensure it is meeting
we increase production. In , our lead, zinc, and copper emissions limits
operations collectively released  imposed by its  permit. The
tonnes of metals into the atmosphere, sampling done in  confirmed
an increase over the  tonnes that the mine is % in compliance. Metals discharged to air and water
released in . This increase results A move to wet processing of ore Our overall metal emissions increased in
1998 over 1997 as a result of the inclusion
from inclusion of the Altonorte from dry processing has resulted in a of the Altonorte copper smelter in our
copper smelter in our reported data major reduction of dust within the reported data for the first time. Our target is
for the first time, which offset mining operations. to achieve a 60% reduction in emissions
decreases at other sites. By , it is by 2002 from 1990 levels.

estimated that metal emissions will
be  tonnes per year, a .% reduc-
tion from .
Heath Steele As part of its mine
closure plan on how to better manage
blowing tailings dust and prevent acid
mine drainage, Heath Steele mine
American Racing A new dust- (tonnes)
collection system was installed
during the year at American Racing’s
2,500
Gardena plant, which previously
had no filtration of any kind. The
2,000
new system virtually eliminated
all airborne particulate metals emis-
sions. At the company’s Plant No.  1,500

has constructed a series of dams within in Rancho Dominguez, two baghouses

1000
1,000
its existing tailings dam that will in the abrasive cleaning area were
ensure all tailings are submerged in replaced with higher-efficiency units
water. In , approximately % of
500
that will remove approximately
 hectares of tailings was underwater, .% of dust from the air.
0
reducing considerably the occasional 85 90 95 98 02
target
problem of tailings dust. The company
has spent more than $ million on Water
the dams since . Air

New Madrid scrubber system

In October 1998, Noranda Aluminum’s New Madrid smelter installed an US$8 mil-
lion alumina fluid-bed dry scrubber system on its last major uncontrolled fluoride
emissions source, a baking furnace originally built in 1970. With the new scrub-
ber, the furnace now emits 90% less fluoride. This will increase the smelter’s air
emissions compliance from 1998 levels. The smelter’s goal is to achieve 100%
compliance in 1999.

 Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report

Heath Steele A new $ million
water treatment system constructed
in late  at the Heath Steele mine
reduced by almost  kilograms
the amount of metal entering the
Little South Tomogonops river, from
, kilograms in  to almost
, kilograms in .
Horne smelter The Horne copper
smelter exceeded its regulated water
quality limits eight times during
. Six of the eight episodes were
acid/alkaline (pH) imbalances that
were contained within an intermediate
holding pond. The company responded
by spending approximately $,
on improvements to pH monitoring
and treatment of tailings impound-
ment at the water treatment facility
where four of the six episodes occurred.
Two other releases entered the environ-
ment: one, an excessive pH discharge
that lasted several hours at a closed
mine site; the other, excessive zinc
loading caused by runoff from a rapid
and heavy snowmelt. Also in ,
at a similar closed mine site, acid-
generating waste rock was moved into
a flooded open pit to stop contamina-
tion and complete restoration by
allowing landscaping of the surround-
ing area.
CEZinc In an effort to meet new
provincial government guidelines for
selenium discharge, Noranda’s zinc
refinery in Valleyfield, Quebec built a
$. million water treatment plant in
 to remove over % of selenium
from the refinery’s effluent. A second
water treatment facility was built by
CEZinc in  at a cost of $ million
to meet new government regulations
for the discharge of zinc. The new plant
is subject to a daily discharge regulation
instead of a monthly one.
American Racing A waste water
treatment unit at American Racing’s
Gardena, California plant will be
upgraded in  at a cost of approxi-
mately $, to reclaim greater
amounts of chromium and nickel, two
toxic metals released in the plant’s
effluent. The reduction in chromium
will be approximately %. In a
separate initiative, the company created
covered storage for aluminum dross,
preventing rainwater from reacting
with the dross and causing salts to enter
the ground. American Racing also
replaced all remaining solvent-based
parts washers at its California plants and
Kentucky plant with water-based
equipment, eliminating emissions of
volatile organic compounds.
CCR Several years ago, sediments
beside a wharf on the St. Lawrence
River near the CCR copper refinery
were found to contain hydrocarbons
and various metals, including copper.
The refinery is one of three local
companies working with Environment
Canada to determine what should be
done to remediate the contamination.
Toxicological studies have shown that
the toxins are harmful to organisms
living in the sediments but pose mini-
mal threat to wildlife. CCR and its
partners have presented the studies
to the local citizens’ committees and
the Priority Intervention Zone
Committee. Engineering studies are
scheduled for early . A cleanup
program is anticipated.
Magnola The new Magnola magne-
sium plant will be a closed-loop system
with no effluents flowing into the
environment. The residues, which will
be stored in a secure pond, will contain
extremely small quantities of chlori-
nated hydrocarbons (CHCs), including
dioxins and furans, which are poten-
tially carcinogenic if consumed in
significant quantities. A report issued in
 by Quebec’s BAPE, after public
hearings on the project, recommended
the CHCs from Magnola be eliminated
from the process. Under an agreement
reached with Quebec’s Ministry of
the Environment, Magnola will install
an activated carbon system that will
absorb a minimum of % of the CHCs
over the first  months of operation,
stepping up to % after that.
Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report
Meeting the challenge
Noranda’s Brenda mine site, located
in the southern interior of British
Columbia approximately 22 kilometres
from the municipality of Peachland,
was an open pit copper/molybdenum
mine that operated from 1970 until
1990. During that time, the mine did
not discharge any water to the envi-
ronment, but since closure, rainwater
and snowmelt have collected in the
open pit. Due to its high molybdenum
content, the water cannot be released
into the environment untreated. At the
end of September 1998, approximate-
ly 40 million cubic metres of water
had accumulated.
In 1998, Noranda built a water
treatment plant at a cost of $11 million.
The process reduces the molybdenum
in the water to levels set by the British
Columbia Ministry of the Environment.
The creek into which the water is dis-
charged is a source of drinking water
for some of the residents of Peachland.
An amended Ministry of the Environ-
ment permit to discharge water was
issued first in 1997 and then, following
an appeal, with further requirements
in 1998.
The treatment plant began discharg-
ing treated water in November and per-
formance has exceeded expectations.
Despite the excellent performance
of the water treatment plant, a group
of local citizens has launched a sec-
ond appeal against the water discharge
permit. An appeal hearing is sched-
uled for June 1999.

 performance

Reclamation
Noranda’s activities disturb land through the storage of tailings and slag, and
though building infrastructure such as roads, railways, power lines, and pipeline
corridors. A total of , hectares of land has been disturbed to some degree
by our activities. During , approximately , hectares were restored,
with the remaining land still in use or in the process of being reclaimed. The
company has completed reclamation planning for all active and inactive mining
and milling sites. Since , Noranda has spent more than $ million on
closure and reclamation activities, including $ million in  alone. Financial
provisions have been made annually since  against earnings to finance future
closure and reclamation costs. The unutilized provisions now total $ million.

Mines Gaspé After  years of in demand in the automobile and

operation, Mines Gaspé is scheduled
to close its underground mine in
September . As part of its closure
plan, Mines Gaspé will revegetate
all former tailings ponds by . Two
of the mine’s three ponds have already
been reclaimed with vegetation.
About . hectares of land owned
by Mines Gaspé in the village of
Mont-Louis, located approximately
 kilometres from Murdochville on
the shore of the St. Lawrence River, was
revegetated in  and ceded to the
municipality. A former fuel oil storage
site where soil had been contaminated,
the land was rehabilitated by Noranda
“Our policy on mine closures is what drives our decisions. We’ve
made a commitment to proper closure and reclamation of mine sites,
a process we are constantly reviewing with an eye on improving
our performance.”
– Jim Schnarr, Vice-President, Engineering and Projects, Noranda Inc.
in . Mines Gaspé contributed
$, to the municipality in  to
help create an interpretation centre.
Magnola Metallurgy has filed a
closure plan with Quebec’s Ministry
of Natural Resources, detailing the
reclamation of the plant’s tailings stor-
age pond, which is predicted to cover
 hectares by . Lined with a thick
layer of high-density polyethylene
on top of a bentonite clay basin, the
pond will eventually be drained
of its water, and filled in with old mine
tailings and a layer of soil, which
will be revegetated. The Magnola
plant is the first of its kind in the
world to convert old mine tailings
into magnesium, a metal increasingly
aircraft industries for its lightness
and strength.
CEZinc In , CEZinc finished
reclaiming one of its long-term jarosite
storage ponds with an impervious
cap at a cost of $ million. A second
pond will be capped in  for almost
$ million. CEZinc is the only zinc
refinery in the world using Jarofix, a new
process that renders the residue inert.
Heath Steele The Heath Steele zinc
mine is scheduled to close during 
due to the depletion of its ore reserves.
As a result, a detailed closure plan was
completed in  and submitted to
the province of New Brunswick for
approval. The closure plan has two main
objectives: maintaining public safety,
and protection of the environment.
Details of the plan include flooding the
three tailings basins to prevent oxida-
tion of the tailings and acid generation.
Acid-generating mine rock that was
stockpiled on the surface at the start of
mining will be collected and properly
stored. These areas will then be vege-
tated and the water diverted. Contami-
nated water will be collected and treated
in the newly constructed waste water
treatment plant. Most of the buildings on
the site will be demolished beginning
in . This closure plan will take five
to seven years to complete.
Blackbird mine cleanup
In 1995, Noranda and the previous
owners of the Blackbird cobalt mine
in Idaho negotiated a settlement
agreement with the State of Idaho
and the United States government
that called for a three-year cleanup
of the former open-pit cobalt/copper
mine. Although Noranda is the owner
of the mine, it never operated it. The
environmental issues include several
creeks that are contaminated by acidic
water containing dissolved metals. The
last stages of the mine site cleanup
work were completed in 1998. The
overall cleanup action involved the
construction of two dams to contain
run-off, a concrete diversion channel
more than one mile long, and a 1,500-
foot tunnel to divert the dammed
water through the old underground
mine to an existing water treatment
plant, whose capacity was doubled
under the agreement. At the end of
1998, water quality in one creek met
all aquatic water quality criteria and
in the other creek, copper loadings
had decreased by 400%. The final
stage of the plan, a habitat restora-
tion program, is intended to restore
aquatic life to both creeks by 2005.

 Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report

Waste management
By its very nature, mining and processing of low-grade ore generates a significant CEZinc Since , the zinc refinery
amount of waste rock. Once the mineral is extracted from the rock, the waste in Valleyfield has been reducing its
by-products (tailings and slag) need to be stored. In , Noranda’s wholly-owned annual solid waste, which in that year
mines generated more than . million tonnes of mine tailings while extracting was an estimated  tonnes. To date,
approximately , tonnes of metal. Our goal is to continuously reduce the it has achieved a % reduction over
amount of waste generated at all operations. six years by recycling materials such as
cardboard, paper, glass, plastic and
CEZinc More than , tonnes review asbestos management plans. wood that formerly went to a landfill.
of an iron-rich residue known as jarosite Twenty-one sites are free of PCBs. Two The goal for  is to achieve a
are produced as a waste by-product sites are using transformers containing % reduction.
every year by Noranda’s zinc refinery PCBs. One, the CCR copper refinery
in Valleyfield, Quebec. In December in Montreal East, will eliminate the
, a plant was constructed at the transformers by . The other, an
refinery that renders the residue inert aluminum facility, was sold in early Reduce, reuse, recycle
Tailings management is a major con-
through the Jarofix process devised . CEZinc, in Valleyfield, is storing cern at all mines where sulphide rock
by the Noranda Technology Centre. some light ballasts on its property. stored aboveground can cause acid
Cement and other binders are com- With asbestos, the issues are identifying mine drainage when exposed to the
bined with the jarosite, which allows where the fibre exists and making elements. In 1998, Noranda’s Bruns-
the refinery to store it on land and sure safeguards are in place to minimize wick mine began using paste backfill,
eventually cover it with earth. Before employee exposure. Twenty facilities a relatively new technology that com-
bines crushed tailings with a cement
the Jarofix process, jarosite had to be confirmed that some asbestos is in use,
binder to create a backfill for stabiliz-
stored in large membrane-lined tailings primarily as insulation around pipes. ing underground excavations. As an
ponds to prevent any remaining Three facilities are still working on older mine with a need to fill voids
zinc solution from being leached into asbestos management plans. created by mining and stabilize caved
the environment. ground, Brunswick had been using
American Racing Paint powders crushed quarried rock. The paste back-
Mines Gaspé At Mines Gaspé and an abrasive cleaning material fill, produced in a new $21 million
plant that began operating last May,
in Murdochville, Quebec, more known as steel shot were traditionally
is a more efficient method that saves
than  large used tires from mining sent to a certified landfill by American the Company approximately $0.88 per
equipment were recovered from a Racing in California. In , the tonne of ore mined while reducing
waste dump in . The tires were company found recyclers for both mate- aboveground tailings accumulation
sent to an approved site for recycling. rials. During the year, , pounds significantly. Brunswick produces an
of paint powder were sent to a company average of approximately 2.6 million
Brunswick smelter An estimated that incorporates it into cement, and tonnes of tailings each year. As of
January 1999, 67% of the mine’s tail-
, tonnes of sludges, slurries, more than , pounds of steel shot
ings were stored underground as back-
and dusts – some lead-bearing – were were remelted by a foundry. American fill, with the remaining 33% going to
stored for many years on property Racing’s waste costs were reduced an existing tailings pond. At Noranda’s
owned by the Brunswick lead smelter. by approximately % compared to new Bell Allard zinc/copper mine in
Since , in an effort to clean up  levels. Matagami, Quebec, the same technol-
the site and reduce the amount stored, ogy will convert approximately 80% of
approximately , tonnes of Horne smelter The Horne copper all tailings to paste backfill.
the material have been excavated and smelter in Rouyn-Noranda began
processed in the smelter’s furnaces. an in-plant recycling program at the
Our goal now is to consume , end of , separating recyclable
tonnes per year until the material is materials and diverting them from
totally removed. landfill sites. The reduction potential
is %. Employees were made aware
of the new program during regular
Special wastes NEAT sessions.

Waste survey Noranda conducted

a survey in  of all operations to
determine progress in our voluntary
programs to phase out PCBs and

Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report 

performance

Safety
Because Noranda’s success depends on the safety and good health of our in . The mill, which has 
employees and the general public in areas where we operate, decisions about employees, had no lost-time injuries
safety and health protection at Noranda have the same priority as major during the year.
economic decisions.
While our ultimate goal is to eliminate on-the-job injuries and incidents Geco In November , a coroner’s
at all of our operations, we are currently aiming for a one-third reduction inquest in Thunder Bay, Ontario was
in our injury frequency rate by . held to examine the death of a miner
underground at the Geco mine in .
In , Noranda’s Reportable Injury Noranda Aluminum For the last Working on an Alimak raiseclimber,
Frequency (RIF), including lost- several years, Noranda Aluminum’s the miner received a fatal blow to the
time injuries and modified work cases, New Madrid smelter’s safety perfor- head from a falling object. The coroner’s
was . compared to . in . mance was below the industry average. jury delivered  recommendations
Sadly, four work-related fatalities In , the company placed safety that included suggestions on how to
occurred at our wholly-owned opera- coordinators and industrial hygiene improve equipment design and oper-
tions during the year. An employee teams in its three main production ating procedures, enhanced training
at the Brunswick zinc/lead mine was areas, increasing considerably its ability programs for miners, and improved
killed as a result of a rock fall. Three to train employees. Communication communications between the various
employees of contractors were killed, has been improved and awareness departments. The recommendations
one at the Matagami mine and two heightened. With the new system in have been reviewed by Noranda and
at the CEZinc refinery in Valleyfield. place for only part of the year, RIF communicated to all operations.
An internal task force is evaluating decreased by % in  and lost-time
how we can improve our safety per- injuries were reduced by %.
formance in mining (see sidebar on
page ). Norandal Norandal’s Huntingdon,
Tennessee rolling mill achieved its
Contractor safety Noranda has fourth straight year without a lost-time
intensified its safety efforts regarding injury, recording more than . million
contract workers in the wake of injury-free hours by year end .
these fatalities in . Today, we are The mill, which is one of the leaders
working to ensure that safety standards in its industry, received an award from
for outside workers are equivalent to the National Safety Council for its
those we set for our own people. This is exemplary performance.
especially important in light of major
construction projects now underway, Safety reporting Noranda will
such as the Magnola magnesium plant begin reporting Company-wide safety Reportable injury frequency *
where , workers will be on-site by activities in four key categories for all In 1998, Noranda’s Reportable Injury
Frequency (RIF) was 6.78 compared to
June . For all phases of construc- operations on a quarterly basis in . 7.54 in 1997. This includes lost-time
tion, clauses relating to safety perfor- The objective is to ensure that safety injuries and modified work cases.
mance are written into the call for activities are being routinely tracked, and
submissions and are a non-negotiable that comparisons between operations
aspect of all contracts. All contract will stimulate continuous improvement.
employees, including supervisors, are 8

instructed on safety matters in half-day Altonorte The Altonorte copper

classroom sessions before entering the smelter’s RIF decreased substantially
from . in  to . in , a
6
site. On-the-spot ‘toolbox’ meetings
are held weekly to refresh awareness % improvement.
and discuss the potential risks of 4

upcoming project phases. Noranda Norandal A greater focus on employee

has also begun collecting best practices safety training and awareness combined 2
information and distributing it to with regular management inspections
workers at the toolbox meetings. at Norandal’s North Carolina aluminum
rolling mill resulted in a % improve-
0
94 95 96 97 98
ment in RIF, to . in  from .
*Total lost-time injury cases x 200,000
hours worked

 Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report

Health
The elimination of health risks in the workplace is a major priority at Noranda.
We strive to ensure that all our working environments are both healthy and
safe, based on programs for occupational health, industrial hygiene, and safety.
To limit employee exposure to potential health risks, all facilities are equipped
with engineered control systems and personal protective equipment when
required. All exposed employees are trained and tested with appropriate
biological monitoring.

Underground diesel emissions saved approximately  person-years

The Diesel Emissions Evaluation
Program, a multi-stakeholder consor-
tium of mining companies including
Noranda, union representatives, and
the Canada Centre for Mineral and
Energy Technologies, was formed
in  to study underground diesel
emissions exposure – specifically,
ways to reduce emissions through
alternative technologies. Two studies
were completed in : a sampling
analysis at Noranda’s Brunswick mine
evaluated different methods for mea-
suring diesel emissions; and, at Inco’s
Creighton mine, a / blend of
diesel and soybean-based fuel showed
a % reduction in diesel particulate
matter. Another study has been
approved for Falconbridge’s Strathcona
mine involving emission reductions
through improved maintenance of
diesel engines. There is a proposal to
study particulate trap technology at
Noranda’s Brunswick mine in .
Disability management Employ-
ees unable to work because of personal
or job-related illnesses and accidents
have traditionally been off the job for
as long as it took the health care system During , no workers registered
to assist with their recovery. In ,
Noranda began a disability manage-
ment process of early intervention,
proactively helping employees get the
appropriate health care and the claims
management assistance they need to
return to work just in time. Research
has shown that effective proactive
management greatly contributes to the
rehabilitation of workers. The program
was piloted at Noranda’s lead smelter
in New Brunswick in  and has
since been initiated at % of Noranda’s
operations. During , Noranda
(, hours) of time. Based on direct
costs and average salaries, the annual
savings for Noranda are conservatively
estimated to be $. million.
Blood lead levels In most
Canadian industries, workers are
relocated from their job sites when
their blood lead levels exceed  to 
micrograms per decilitre. (In Europe,
the norm is  to  micrograms per
decilitre.) Through vigilant industrial
hygiene practices, Noranda has made
steady progress over the past decade
in lowering the blood lead levels
of its employees at its lead smelter in
New Brunswick. In , it became
Noranda’s policy to relocate anyone
with a lead level above  micrograms
per decilitre. In ,  workers
at the Brunswick smelter registered
higher than  micrograms per
decilitre. In , only two workers
had to be relocated.
Through the improvement of
management systems and employee
education, the Heath Steele mine has
consistently reduced blood lead levels
in employees every year since .
above  micrograms per decilitre.
“Our goal is to help employees obtain better service in the health
system so they can recover sooner, feel better about themselves,
and resume their place at work.”
– Lise Ricard, Manager, Safety and Health, Noranda Inc.
Task force on mine safety
During 1998, falling rock killed two
miners, one at Noranda’s Brunswick
mine and the other at Falconbridge’s
Lockerby mine. Last July, in response
to these tragedies, both companies
formed the Joint Task Force on Mining
Accidents, a group of safety experts,
workers, and operating and non-oper-
ating professionals. The task force is
responsible for finding ways to improve
underground safety performance, par-
ticularly regarding ground support, and
find better ways to avoid the hazard of
rock falls, a perennial problem through-
out the mining industry. Best practices
and the latest research findings are
being evaluated from around the world.
An action plan is to be devised by the
end of 1999. Improved practices and
new technologies will then be tested
at the Bell-Allard mine, scheduled
to open near Matagami in northern
Quebec in the summer of 1999.

Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report 

performance

Stakeholder partnerships
Corporate and social responsibility implies open communications with all emissions and made the report available
stakeholders – from government and non-government organizations to our to nearby regional health clinics. In
employees and customers to the media and general public. To keep members response to queries from doctors
of the communities where we operate well informed, Noranda has helped about the possible health effects of the
develop community-based citizens’ committees at many of our larger facilities. emissions, the refinery hired a third-
These committees meet regularly with operations managers. They are party consultant in  to determine
continually informed about changes, liabilities, and improvements at the facility possible adverse effects on the local
as well as about our environmental and safety performance. population. The study, completed
in , showed insignificant levels
Social responsibility The closure Heath Steele In preparation for the of zinc and cadmium in people
of a mine has many consequences for closing of the Heath Steele mine in living within two kilometres of
the people living in that community. , a transition committee has been the refinery.
There are environmental repercussions, working with employees since . Also in , the refinery held its
such as long-term tailings storage All employees provided information on first open house for local residents
and water treatment. There is also an their skills and any additional training since . More than , people
obvious social impact in terms of they might need to make a job change. toured the refinery to view its
unemployment and the departure of The company has made available a new water treatment plants, Jarofix
mine-related services. Noranda plans staffed resource centre with telephones, plant, jarosite pond reclamation
all mine closures many years ahead fax machines, and computers with work, and other industrial and envi-
to ensure that long-term environmen- Internet access. The closure will affect ronmental operations.
tal protection will be in place and that  employees.
former employees and their families Brunswick smelter Community
will have opportunities to find other Mines Gaspé A similar program is outreach has become a formal
occupations through the transition underway at Mines Gaspé in Murdoch- part of the Brunswick smelter’s envi-
period. Where possible, we attempt to ville, Quebec, where approximately ronmental management system.
transfer employees to other Noranda  people will be laid off when the Two local citizens’ committees, focus-
sites. We provide skills upgrading, job underground copper mine closes, ing on sustainable development and
training, and counselling services. We which is scheduled at the end of . environmental issues, meet regularly
also work with all levels of government The copper smelter and sulphuric acid with the smelter’s environmental
to assist the community in developing plant will remain in production as an manager to discuss new projects and
and attracting new economic initiatives. international custom smelting facility. environmental improvement.

CEZinc In becoming certified under

the CCPA’s Responsible Care program
in , the CEZinc refinery in Valley-
field published a breakdown of its

Global solutions
Noranda is one of 17 international companies that formed the International Net-
work for Acid Prevention (INAP) in 1998. INAP’s goal is to bring together engineers
and scientists from more than 23 countries to research and develop technolo-
gies to reduce the impact of acid mine drainage, a major environmental liability
that costs the world mining industry millions of dollars each year for prevention
and treatment. Acid drainage is caused when naturally occurring metal sulphides
are exposed to oxygen and water. The resulting sulphuric acid often dissolves
metals from surrounding rocks, contaminating ground and surface water.

 Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report

 CCR The CCR copper refinery is
represented on a committee of munici-
pal and industrial partners in eastern
Montreal that was formed to plan
emergency measures in the event
of a major industrial accident. In ,
the committee compiled a list of
hazardous materials with a potential for
government about this proposal. To
respect the park’s biological fragility
and avoid conflict with opponents
of the transportation plan, Compañía
Minera Antamina (CMA) has aban-
doned its initial idea of trucking the
concentrate, and has opted for a
-kilometre slurry pipeline from

“Particularly in the natural resources business, the ‘license to

operate’ which society grants us is critical to our success.
Building and maintaining a reputation is not achieved through a
PR campaign. A company’s reputation is built, brick by brick,
by its performance and actions over a long period of time.”
– David Kerr, President and CEO, Noranda Inc.

industrial risk. When all emergency
response plans are completed, they will
be communicated to the residents of
each community.
Antamina Approximately  kilome-
tres west of the Antamina copper/zinc
project site (of which Noranda owns a
.% interest) in Peru lies Huascaran
National Park, a United Nations World
Heritage Site.
This long and relatively narrow
Andean park supports a rich and
biologically diverse ecosystem. It is,
consequently, at the top of the priority
list for protection by governmental
and non-governmental organizations
(NGOs).
The Antamina Environmental Impact
Assessment Report initially called for
the trucking of more than . million
tonnes of concentrates (about 
trucks per day) through the park. But
concern was expressed by various
NGOs, UNESCO, and the Peruvian
the mine site to the coastal port facility.
In addition, the pipeline will follow a
southern route around the park. While
parts of the new route are under con-
struction, the company has established
safeguards to ensure that temporary
use of a park road will cause no envi-
ronmental damage.
Magnola The human resources
department of Magnola Metallurgy is
working with Employment Quebec
(a government agency) to ensure
skill-upgrading courses are available to
people in the Asbestos area to improve
their opportunities for employment
at the new Magnola plant, or with
associated businesses. The new facility
will provide employment for approxi-
mately  people.
Community development
at Antamina
CMA, a partnership between Noranda,
Rio Algom, and Teck Corporation, is
developing one of the world’s largest
copper and zinc mines. Located in a
remote region of the Peruvian Andes,
the project presents many social and
environmental challenges. During
1997 and 1998, CMA consulted with
community leaders and local residents
to determine stakeholder needs, for-
mulate a resettlement plan based on
World Bank guidelines for residents
affected by the mine’s development,
and design a community development
program. Financial assistance and
technical support is being provided for
community-based businesses. Through
funds received from the land purchase
agreement with CMA, the people of
Huaripampa, a local village, have
installed electrical power and built
a small technical school and health
clinic. The company has also initiated
a number of training and scholarship
programs and is seeking to bring addi-
tional resources to the area through
international aid organizations.

Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report 

legal issues
Legal
During , Noranda’s wholly-owned operations dealt
with a number of legal actions involving environment,
safety and health issues, including:
Altonorte In , the Altonorte copper smelter located
near Antofagasta, Chile was fined $, for exceeding
government-regulated SO2 limits. The indictment referred
to exceeding both the daily and annual SO2 limits in ,
mostly as a result of Phase  startup problems. In October
, Altonorte installed an intermittent control system
to prevent similar occurrences. Only one daily SO2
exceedance has occurred since.
Spills and releases
Although measures are in place to prevent accidental spills
and releases, incidents do occur. All spills and releases
must be reported to the appropriate government agencies.
The following are spills and releases that resulted in an
impact on the environment beyond Noranda’s facilities.
CEZinc In January , an unknown quantity of SO3
was accidentally released into the atmosphere from the
Valleyfield, Quebec zinc refinery’s acid plant. The incident
occurred when a blocked valve restricted water flow to
the absorption tower. The valve has been repaired.
In October, three SO3 releases from the acid plant
occurred:
• In the first incident, an absorption tower pump failed,
causing an unknown quantity of SO3 to enter the
atmosphere. The maintenance system was evaluated
in an effort to improve reliability.
• In the second incident, SO3 was released from the acid
plant as a result of operating errors during a shutdown
procedure. Operating procedures were reviewed and
the training programs revised.
• In the third incident, SO3 escaped as the result of a
malfunction in the instrumentation controls. The
instruments have been recalibrated.
In March, approximately  cubic metres of electro-
lyte solution (acid and dissolved metals) spilled into the
nearby St. Lawrence River. The spill occurred when
proper startup procedures for two electrolyte pipelines
were not initiated.
In November, a break in a hot electrolyte pipeline
resulted in approximately five cubic metres of electrolyte
solution being discharged into a canal near the refinery.
CEZinc is implementing corrective measures that involve
a $ million, three-year program to replace all piping
with corrosion-resistant polyvinyl chloride piping.
 Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report
CCR The CCR copper refinery in Montreal East experi-
enced two spills:
• In March, approximately  litres of fuel oil escaped
from a dispensing pump that was not shut off.
Although most of the oil was recovered, an unknown
quantity entered the municipal sewer system. The
pump has been fixed and a plan has been prepared to
improve the diesel distribution system in .
• In April, an acidic solution exceeding the regulated
limit was discharged from the silver refinery. A sump in
the underground access tunnel to this facility collects
seepage which is pumped to the sewer. Acidic solution
from the plant has periodically entered the ground-
water system through cracks in the concrete floor. CCR
is now directing the sump flow back to the plant.
The Montreal Urban Community receives notification
of each spill that occurs at CCR.
Brunswick mine In February , approximately
 kilograms of halon gas were accidentally released from
the fire suppression system at the Brunswick zinc mine near
Bathurst. The accident occurred after an electrical mal-
function in a fire alarm control panel. The New Brunswick
Department of the Environment (DOE) was notified
immediately. An investigation was launched by DOE in
conjunction with Noranda. Halon, an ozone-depleting
gas, has been outlawed for general use by  under
an international treaty. The Brunswick mine had developed
a program to phase out all halon gas by March .
As a result of the incident, the phase-out was completed
by November , two years ahead of schedule.
Brunswick smelter In June, approximately nine cubic
metres of sulphuric acid leaked from an acid shipping
line at the Brunswick lead smelter, near Bathurst, due to a
pipeline rupture. The pipeline had originally developed
a small leak but, during an attempt to neutralize the conta-
minated soil, the pipeline was accidentally broken by a
piece of heavy equipment. Cleanup was completed to the
satisfaction of DOE. The Brunswick smelter has developed
several new procedures and actions to minimize the
chances of similar incidents occurring. These changes
include increased frequency of pipeline inspections
and improved employee training programs on maintenance
and prevention practices. In addition, a second access
road has been constructed to allow passage on either side
of the pipeline, and new emergency shut-off valves have
been installed.
 47 13
11 14
34
19
23 S OUTH A ME RICA
5 E UROPE
17 25
20 8 6
29 4
30 12
24 18 28 1
26 27 2 7 49
21 48 3
35
22
36 33
32 NORTH AM E RI CA
43
42
31
37 ASIA
38 39 45 44 10
46
41 9
15

40
AUSTRALIA
16

noranda: an international mining

and metals operating company

Noranda is one of the world’s largest producers of zinc and nickel, and NORANDA ALUMINUM, INC.
is a significant producer of primary and fabricated aluminum, copper, Aluminum reduction smelter
37 New Madrid, Missouri
lead, sulphuric acid, gold, silver and cobalt. It is also a major recycler of
secondary copper, nickel and precious metals. It employs more than AMERICAN RACING EQUIPMENT, INC.
18,000 people around the world. Aluminum and steel automotive wheels
38 Compton, California
39 Gardena, California
BRUNSWICK MINE EXPLORATION OFFICES GENERAL SMELTING 40 Querétaro, Mexico
Underground zinc/lead mine and mill 7 Bathurst, New Brunswick Lead alloy smelter 41 Rancho Dominguez, California
1 Bathurst, New Brunswick 8 Thunder Bay, Ontario 29 Lachine, Quebec (two fabricating plants)
9 Hermosillo, Mexico 42 Warsaw, Kentucky
BRUNSWICK SMELTER 10 Santiago, Chile HORNE SMELTER
Lead smelter and sulphuric 11 Lima, Peru Custom copper smelter and EXCEL EXTRUSIONS, INC.
acid plant 12 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil sulphuric acid plant Custom aluminum windows
2 Belledune, New Brunswick 13 Navan, Ireland 30 Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec and doors
14 London, England 43 Warren, Ohio
HEATH STEELE MINE 15 Hong Kong, China MICRO METALLICS
Underground zinc/lead mine and mill 16 Brisbane, Australia Precious metal scrap sampling and NORANDAL USA, INC.
3 Miramichi, New Brunswick processing plant Aluminum sheet and foil rolling mills
CLOSED MINES 31 San Jose, California 44 Huntingdon, Tennessee
MINES GASPÉ AND SMELTER 17 Ignace, Ontario 32 Roseville, California 45 Newport, Arkansas
Underground copper mine, mill, 18 Manitouwadge, Ontario 46 Salisbury, North Carolina
copper smelter with sulphuric 19 Hendrix Lake, British Columbia NORANDA SAMPLING
acid plant 20 Peachland, British Columbia Precious metal scrap sampling plant COMPAÑÍA MINERA ANTAMINA S.A.
4 Murdochville, Quebec 21 Salmon, Idaho 33 East Providence, Rhode Island Project under development:
22 Happy Camp, California open pit copper and zinc mine to
MATAGAMI DIVISION 23 Granisle, British Columbia SALES OFFICES start up mid-2001
Bell Allard mine to start up in 1999 (two closed mines) 34 London, England 47 Department of Ancash, Peru
5 Matagami, Quebec 24 Libby, Montana 35 Toronto, Ontario
25 Matagami, Quebec 36 Cleveland, Ohio MAGNOLA METALLURGY INC.
GALLEN MINE Project under development:
Open pit zinc and copper, silver CEZINC REFINERY magnesium production to start up
and gold mine Zinc reduction plant, and sulphuric mid-2000
6 Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec acid plant 48 Shipton-Danville, Quebec
26 Valleyfield, Quebec
NORANDA CHILE LIMITADA
CCR REFINERY ALTONORTE SMELTER
Copper and precious metal refinery Copper smelter with sulphuric
27 Montreal East, Quebec acid plant
49 La Negra, Chile
NORANDA TECHNOLOGY CENTRE
Research and development
28 Pointe-Claire, Quebec

Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report 

site -specific performance

Copper
CCR REFINERY HORNE SMELTER
MONTREAL EAST, QUEBEC 1998 1995 1988 ROUYN-NORANDA, QUEBEC 1998 1995 1988

compliance (%) compliance (%)

air emissions 100 94.10 NM/E air emissions 100 100 NM/E
water discharge 100 99.90 NM/E ambient air quality 99.99 99.98 99.79
water discharge 99.30 99.60 97.40
air (tonnes)
arsenic 0.7 0.1 0.3 air (tonnes)
copper 2.7 2.6 2.5 arsenic 79.1 34.5 113.0
lead 1.0 1.3 5.3 cadmium 2.5 3.9 39.0
sulphur dioxide 312.9 147.3 NM/E copper 85.7 133.0 149.0
lead 153.2 355.0 850.0
water (tonnes)
mercury NM/E 0.3 1.7
ammonia 3.6 3.3 NM/E
nickel 0.5 1.5 NM/E
arsenic 0.3 0.1 9.8
sulphur dioxide 117,770 172,300 NM/E
biological oxygen demand 23.2 22.9 NM/E
zinc 42.4 100.0 420.0
chemical oxygen demand 144.3 224.1 NM/E
chromium B B 0.2 water (tonnes)
copper 1.7 0.8 7.8 arsenic B 0.6 B
lead 0.1 B 0.4 cadmium B 0.1 0.4
nickel 0.2 0.1 3.6 chromium B 0.6 B
oil and grease NM/E 21.9 NM/E copper 2.2 2.0 1.9
selenium 9.8 3.6 NM/E lead B 0.6 1.4
zinc 0.2 0.1 0.4 mercury B B B
nickel B 0.6 B
energy
oil and grease B 16.1 NM/E
consumption (petajoules) 2.62 2.54 NM/E
zinc 4.5 4.8 12.9
safety
RIF (per 200,000 h) 8.30 11.00 NM/E
energy
consumption (petajoules) 2.63 2.75 NM/E
production (000)
refined copper (tonnes) 324 347 312 safety
RIF (per 200,000 h) 8.90 11.30 NM/E
silver bullion (oz) 37,494 25,731 25,928
gold bullion (oz) 1,097 930 858 production (000 tonnes)
selenium (tonnes) 386 568 500 copper anodes 196 213 178
sulphuric acid 519 419 NM/E*

*The Horne smelter’s sulphuric acid plant began production in 1989.

ALTONORTE SMELTER
LA NEGRA, CHILE 1998 1995 1988

compliance (%)
air emissions NM/E PO PO
ambient air quality NM/E PO PO
water discharge 99.90 PO PO

air (tonnes)
arsenic 173 PO PO
sulphur dioxide 46,538 PO PO

water (tonnes) NM/E PO PO

energy
consumption (petajoules) NM/E PO PO

safety
RIF (per 200,000 h) 7.10 PO PO

production (000 tonnes)

copper anodes 144 PO PO
NM/E: not measured or estimated
sulphuric acid 197 PO PO
B: below detection limit < 0.1
PO: prior to ownership by Noranda

 Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report

 Zinc
MINES GASPÉ AND SMELTER BRUNSWICK MINE
MURDOCHVILLE, QUEBEC 1998 1995 1988 BATHURST, NEW BRUNSWICK 1998 1995 1988

compliance (%) compliance (%)

air emissions 100 NM/E NM/E ambient air quality NM/E NM/E NM/E
ambient air quality 100 100 NM/E water discharge 100 100 NM/E
water discharge 100 100 100 air (tonnes)
air (tonnes) lead 2.6 1.1 1.1
arsenic 9.9 16.0 54.2 nitrogen oxide 259 NM/E NM/E
cadmium 0.2 0.2 1.6 sulphur dioxide 760 1,907 NM/E
copper 1.5 1.4 9.5 zinc 5.7 1.1 1.1
lead 14.0 17.0 183.0 water (tonnes)
mercury 0.6 0.5 0.5 copper 0.3 0.1 0.4
nickel 1.0 0.8 NM/E
lead 0.4 0.2 1.9
sulphur dioxide 31,448 43,188 57,498 zinc 5.6 9.1 46.6
zinc 3.5 2.8 4.0
energy
water (tonnes) consumption (petajoules) 2.39 2.52 NM/E
ammonia 4.8 NM/E NM/E
arsenic B 0.3 0.2 safety
cadmium B 0.3 0.3 RIF (per 200,000 h) 5.10 3.90 NM/E

chromium 0.1 0.6 0.8 production (tonnes)

copper 1.4 3.0 2.3 zinc in concentrates 243,308 294,457 444,000
lead 0.8 2.0 0.8
manganese 3.5 5.6 NM/E
mercury B B B
nickel 0.3 1.3 0.6 BRUNSWICK SMELTER
zinc 0.5 1.1 0.6 BELLEDUNE, NEW BRUNSWICK 1998 1995 1988

energy
consumption (petajoules) 0.43 2.13 NM/E compliance (%)
air emissions 99.90 96.10 74.10
safety ambient air quality 99.95 99.60 99.60
RIF (per 200,000 h) 8.00 15.00 NM/E
water discharge 99.50 93.10 88.80
production (000 tonnes)
air (tonnes)
copper anodes 105 103 65 arsenic 3.1 2.0 4.7
sulphuric acid 219 164 132 cadmium 2.9 1.7 3.4
lead 11.8 12.2 56.4
sulphur dioxide 12,770 12,056 21,104
zinc 4.3 NM/E 2.2
water (tonnes)
arsenic 0.2 0.6 1.5
Recycling facilities*
cadmium 0.3 1.0 1.4
MICRO METALLICS,
NORANDA SAMPLING 1998 1995 1988 copper 1.0 0.2 B
lead 0.2 0.7 4.7
zinc 0.9 1.5 2.3
compliance (%)
air emissions NM/E NM/E NM/E energy
water discharge 100 100 NM/E consumption (petajoules) 2.64 2.79 NM/E

air (tonnes) NM/E NM/E NM/E safety

RIF (per 200,000 h) 7.70 5.30 NM/E
water (tonnes)
zinc B B NM/E production (tonnes)
refined lead and alloys1 108,704 105,000 61,700
safety
sulphuric acid 2 164,000 148,700 155,000
RIF (per 200,000 h)
Noranda Sampling 7.30 3.30 NM/E
1 Production data for lead includes other lead products
Micro Metallics 5.30 NM/E NM/E
2 Prior to mid-1996, the Brunswick smelter converted smelter acid to diammonium phosphate fertilizer.
This data includes smelter production only and excludes acid receipts from other sources
*This table includes data for Micro Metallics (San Jose and Roseville, CA) and Noranda Sampling
(East Providence, RI)

Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report 

site-specific performance

CEZINC REFINERY HEATH STEELE MINE

VALLEYFIELD, QUEBEC 1998 1995 1988 MIRAMICHI, NEW BRUNSWICK 1998 1995 1988

compliance (%) compliance (%)

air emissions 100 100 97.2 water discharge 96.80 91.20 NM/E
water discharge 100 100 100 air (tonnes)
air (tonnes) sulphur dioxide 14.2 4.7 NM/E
arsenic B 0.2 0.9 water (tonnes)
cadmium 1.7 0.9 0.4 arsenic 0.1 0.1 0.2
copper 0.6 0.7 1.0 cadmium 0.6 B NM/E
lead 0.5 0.9 1.5 copper 1.2 0.9 1.5
other substances 37.0 86.9 NM/E
lead 0.6 1.8 1.4
sulphur dioxide 3,923 3,311 5,327 zinc 6.1 8.9 42.7
zinc 86.5 106.4 153.0
energy
water (tonnes) consumption (petajoules) 0.51 NM/E NM/E
ammonia 24.6 NM/E NM/E
arsenic B NM/E 0.2 safety
cadmium B B 0.4 RIF (per 200,000 h) 7.00 4.40 NM/E

copper 0.5 0.2 B production (tonnes)

lead B 0.1 1.5 zinc in concentrate 46,189 52,802 NM/E
mercury B B B
selenium 0.5 2.5 NM/E
zinc 3.8 3.2 25.0
energy MATAGAMI DIVISION*
MATAGAMI, QUEBEC 1998 1995 1988
consumption (petajoules) 4.50 4.50 NM/E

safety compliance (%)

RIF (per 200,000 h) 12.40 11.70 NM/E
water discharge 100 100 NM/E
production (tonnes)
air (tonnes)
refined zinc 226,450 223,000 219,100 sulphur dioxide NM/E 47.1 NM/E
sulphuric acid 416,000 388,200 409,900
water (tonnes)
aluminum 0.6 NM/E NM/E
ammonia 1.0 0.8 NM/E
copper 0.1 0.1 0.5
lead 0.2 0.3 0.3
manganese 0.3 NM/E NM/E
nickel 0.1 0.1 0.2
zinc 0.4 2.0 8.5
energy
consumption (petajoules) 0.15 0.58 NM/E

safety
RIF (per 200,000 h) 5.80 10.90 NM/E

production
tonnes milled NM/E 3,841 NM/E

*Matagami Division is scheduled to resume production at its new Bell-Allard mine in 1999

 Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report

 Aluminum
NORANDA ALUMINUM, INC., PRIMARY SMELTER AMERICAN RACING EQUIPMENT, INC.,
NEW MADRID, MISSOURI 1998 1995 1988 FABRICATING FACILITIES* 1998 1995 1988

compliance (%) compliance (%)

air emissions 100 NM/E NM/E air emissions 100 100 NM/E
water discharge 99.49 99.00 NM/E
air (tonnes)
air (tonnes) nitrogen oxide 34.5 29.8 NM/E
fluoride 260.7 302.4 NM/E total particulates 10.3 NM/E NM/E
perfluorocarbon compounds 64.4 142.0 NM/E
water (tonnes)
sulphur dioxide 3,849 4,769 NM/E
chemical O2 demand 25.8 59.9 NM/E
total particulates 1,320 NM/E NM/E
suspended solids 18.2 10.9 NM/E
water (tonnes) oil and grease 1.7 2.7 NM/E
aluminum 2.4 0.1 NM/E
energy
fluoride 17.6 1.1 NM/E
consumption (petajoules) NM/E 0.02 NM/E
nickel B B NM/E
oil and grease 1.1 0.2 NM/E safety
RIF (per 200,000 h) 7.10 4.00 NM/E
energy
consumption (petajoules) 18.09 17.14 NM/E *This table includes data for all American Racing Equipment, Inc. facilities (Compton, CA;
Gardena, CA; Rancho Dominguez, CA; Warsaw, KY and Querétaro, Mexico)
safety
RIF (per 200,000 h) 6.40 10.30 NM/E

production (000 tonnes)

aluminum and alloys 220 218 NM/E

Non-operating mine sites*

1998 1995 1988
ALUMINUM FABRICATING
FACILITIES* 1998 1995 1988
compliance (%)
water discharge 96.40 99.82 NM/E
compliance (%)
air emissions 100 100 NM/E
water (tonnes)
copper 0.1 0.1 0.4
water discharge 99.56 99.94 NM/E
lead B 0.1 0.3
air (tonnes) zinc B 7.1 13.1
nitrogen oxide 86.4 NM/E NM/E ammonia 42.5 82.9 NM/E
volatile organic compounds 4,380 3,167 NM/E suspended solids 8.3 21.7 NM/E
water (tonnes)
oil and grease 1.9 13.3 NM/E *This table includes data for all non-operating mine sites (Bell Mine, Granisle, BC; Blackbird,
Salmon, ID; Boss Mountain, 100 Mile House, BC; Brenda Mines, Peachland, BC; Geco Mine,
zinc B B NM/E Manitouwadge, ON; Grey Eagle Mine, Happy Camp, CA; Mattabi Mine, Ignace, ON)

energy
consumption (petajoules) 3.98 21.34 NM/E

safety
RIF (per 200,000 h) 2.76 NM/E NM/E

*This table includes data for Norandal USA Inc. (Huntingdon, TN; Newport, AR and Salisbury, NC)
and Excel Extrusions Inc. (Warren, OH)

Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report 

glossary
ACID BLEED Acidic liquid containing dissolved and
suspended metal compounds, generated by clean-
ing of smelter gases prior to further processing into
sulphuric acid. Acid bleed is treated to neutralize
acid and remove metals prior to being discharged.
ACID MINE DRAINAGE Low pH water and dissolved
metals caused when sulphide minerals are exposed
to air and moisture.
BACKFILL Material used to fill the space in a mine
after ore has been extracted in order to access
additional ore and provide ground support. Backfill
may consist of waste rock generated within the
mine, quarried rock which may be either unconsoli-
dated or cemented, or a paste material produced
from mine tailings.
BAGHOUSE A pollution control device that uses
fabric filter bags to remove dust particulates from
a dry gas stream.
CARBON ANODE Carbon anodes are used in the
production of aluminum by fused salt electrolysis.
CARBON BAKE SYSTEM A facility used to prepare
carbon anodes for use at Noranda Aluminum’s New
Madrid aluminum reduction plant.
CONCENTRATE A smelter feed material containing
valuable minerals, produced at a mine/mill
complex by physical processing of ore to remove
waste minerals from the concentrator tailings.
CONVERTOR A furnace in which air is blown through
a bath of molten metal or matte, oxidizing impuri-
ties and maintaining the temperature through the
heat produced by the oxidation reaction.
ECOSYSTEM A functional unit of nature comprising
both organisms and their non-living environment,
intimately linked by a variety of biological, chemical
and physical processes.
EFFLUENT A liquid discharged to the environment
from a production or pollution control process.
EMISSION A release or discharge to air from a
production or pollution control process.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (EMS)
A systematic approach to environmental manage-
ment that includes organizational structure, planning
activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures,
processes and resources for developing, imple-
menting, achieving, reviewing and maintaining
Noranda’s environmental policy.
 Noranda 1998 Environment, Safety and Health Report
FUGITIVE EMISSIONS Uncontrolled air emissions
resulting from leakage from process reactors or
from materials storage, handling or transfers.
GREENHOUSE GASES Gases that contribute to the
greenhouse effect by reducing losses of solar
energy from the Earth’s atmosphere. Greenhouse
gases include carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapour
(H2O), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydro-
fluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and
sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).
GROUNDWATER Water which permeates soil and
bedrock through pores and fissures.
KYOTO PROTOCOL An international environmental
agreement to control emissions of greenhouse
gases under the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change, concluded in Kyoto,
Japan in December 1997. The Protocol will become
legally binding when it has been ratified by at
least 55 countries representing 55% of total 1990
emissions from developed countries.
LEACHING The extraction of soluble minerals into
water, acid or another liquid medium.
PARTICULATES Particulates include any finely divided
solid particles suspended in ambient air or in air
emissions. Particulates include dust, smoke, and
fumes but exclude gaseous emissions such as
water vapour and liquid aerosols such as mist.
POTLINE The section of Noranda Aluminum’s reduc-
tion plant in which aluminum is produced from an
oxide by fused salt electrolysis in a series of “pots”
with graphite potliners and anodes.
QUARRY An open or surface working for extraction
of rock used for construction purposes or as mine
backfill.
RECLAMATION The restoration of land and environ-
mental values at a mine or industrial site to support
an alternative and productive land use following
mineral extraction or production. Reclamation
activities include removal, storage and replacement
of overburden and topsoil, establishment of vegeta-
tion and implementation of runoff management
measures to stabilize the surface against erosion
and to create wildlife habitat, forests or other
self-sustaining ecosystems.
REFINING A process whereby metal and other impu-
rities are removed from an intermediate product
to produce a purer final product, such as metals
and alloys that meet commercial specifications.
ROASTING A process in which concentrate contain-
ing sulphides is oxidized for removal of sulphur
as sulphur dioxide. Sulphur dioxide is directed to
an acid plant for production of sulphuric acid.
ROLLING MILL A plant in which cast metal is
processed into sheets, bars, rails or rods by
mechanical working between pairs of rollers.
SCRUBBER An air pollution control device that
removes contaminants from smelter off-gases
using water or another liquid. Examples of contami-
nants that may be removed by scrubbers include
particulate matter containing metals, acid gases or
other gases.
SMELTING A high-temperature metallurgical process
in which mineral concentrates and fluxes such as
silica and limestone are processed in one or more
steps to separate molten metal from a calcium/iron
silicate slag containing impurities.
SULPHUR DIOXIDE Colourless acidic gas produced
by the oxidation of sulphide minerals, recovered
from smelter off-gases in order to minimize acidic
deposition. Sulphur dioxide may be converted to
sulphuric acid or liquid sulphur dioxide for use in
industrial processes.
SULPHUR FIXATION RATE The percentage of sulphur
present in smelter feed materials that is not emitted
into the atmosphere as sulphur dioxide but is fixed
as sulphuric acid or other smelter products.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Development that
meets the needs of the present without compromis-
ing the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs (as defined by the United Nations World
Commission on Environment and Development).
TAILINGS Finely ground mineral waste that remains
after valuable minerals have been recovered as
concentrates or other mill products. Tailings are
generally produced and transported in the form of
a slurry consisting of mineral particles suspended
in water.
TAILINGS DAM A containment structure constructed,
operated, developed, maintained and monitored
to ensure secure, long-term impoundment of mine
tailings. Tailings are generally hydraulically placed.
Mineral particles are removed by gravity sedimenta-
tion and water is collected in a pond from which
it may be recycled to the mill process or discharged
into the environment.
TAILINGS DUST Dust formed when the surface of
the tailings stored within a tailings dam is eroded
during a period of high winds.
 request for information
Corporate Copper
David Rodier CCR REFINERY
Senior Vice-President, Environment, Jacques Pageau
Safety and Health Superintendent, Environmental
Tel: (416) 982-7347 Services
Ed Villeneuve Serge Beaulieu
Vice-President, Environmental Projects, Coordinator, Safety
Audits and Industrial Hygiene
Tel: (416) 982-7220 Denise Boulay
Coordinator, Health Services
Rick Siwik
Manager, Environment Sylvain Laparé
Tel: (416) 982-7308 Senior Coordinator,
Industrial Hygiene
Leonard Surges 220, avenue Durocher
Manager, Environment Montréal-Est, QC H1B 5H6
Tel: (416) 982-6900 Tel: (514) 645-2311
P.O. Box 755, BCE Place Fax: (514) 640-2088
181 Bay Street, Suite 4100
Toronto, ON M5J 2T3 NORANDA CHILE LIMITADA
Tel: (416) 982-7193 ALTONORTE SMELTER
Fax: (416) 982-3543 Elliot Cohen
Senior Coordinator, Safety,
Dr. Jean-Paul Robin Hygiene and Environment
Vice-President, Safety, Health Avenida Antonio Rendic No. 5032,
Printing: Bowne of Canada
and Hygiene Casilla 740, Antofagasta, Chile
Tel: +56-55-630-128
L. Jacques Moulins Fax: +56-55-630-143
Manager, Environment
Place Montréal Trust HORNE SMELTER
1800, avenue McGill College, Jacques Leclerc
Suite 2400 Environment and Hygiene
Typesetting: Moveable Type Inc., Toronto
Montreal, QC H3A 3J6 Superintendent
Tel: (514) 982-6350
Fax: (514) 982-6399 Marc Larouche
Superintendent, Health, Safety
Lise Ricard and Hygiene
Manager, Safety and Health 101, avenue Portelance
P.O. Box 3000 Rouyn-Noranda, QC J9X 1P5
Bathurst, NB E2A 3Z8 Tel: (819) 762-7764
Tel: (506) 547-3275 Fax: (819) 764-7135
Fax: (506) 547-6162
Photography: Graeme Oxby; pages 2 and 14: Bernard Bohn
GASPÉ MINE AND SMELTER
TECHNOLOGY CENTRE Victor Chapados
Luc C. St-Arnaud Chief, Environmental Services
Program Manager, Environment 53, chemin de la Mine
Murdochville, QC G0E 1W0
Claudine Ducharme Tel: (418) 784-4370
Environment, Health and Fax: (418) 784-3805
Safety Manager
240, boulevard Hymus Recycling
Pointe-Claire, QC H9R 1G5 MICRO METALLICS CORPORATION
Tel: (514) 630-9300 John Quillan
Fax: (514) 630-9379 Environment, Health, Safety
and Loss Control Manager
8855 Washington Boulevard
Roseville, CA 95678 USA
Writer: Tony Leighton
Tel: (916) 785-1720
Fax: (916) 785-7399
Mark TenBrink
Environmental Manager
Design: Concrete Design Communications Inc., Toronto
1695 Monterey Highway
San Jose, CA 95112 USA
Tel: (408) 992-4930
Fax: (408) 998-5033
NORANDA SAMPLING INC.
Mark Resendes
Environment, Health and Safety
Coordinator
80 Commercial Way
East Providence, RI 02914 USA
Tel: (401) 438-9220
Fax: (401) 438-1237
Zinc Aluminum
BRUNSWICK MINE NORANDA ALUMINUM, INC.
Robert Butler Alan Brown
Environmental Coordinator Vice-President, Human Resources
1000 Corporate Center Drive,
Gordon Roy Suite 300
Safety/Industrial Hygiene Supervisor Franklin, TN 37067 USA
Tel: (615) 771-5700
Manon Legresley Fax: (615) 771-5701
Occupational Health Supervisor
No. 12 Mine Site, Mines Road PRIMARY SMELTER
Bathurst, NB E2A 3Z8 Dave Hart
Tel: (506) 547-3099 Manager – Technical Services
Fax: (506) 547-6191
Kay Keen
BRUNSWICK SMELTER Superintendent – Health Services
Paul Deveau St. Jude Industrial Park, P.O. Box 70
Superintendent, Environment New Madrid, MO 63869 USA
Belledune, NB E0B 1G0 Tel: (573) 643-2361
Tel: (506) 522-7005 Fax: (573) 643-6720
Fax: (506) 522-7089
NORANDAL USA, INC.
CEZINC REFINERY Cliff DeRose
Daniel Daoust Environmental and Safety Manager
Superintendent, Environmental 2240 Northwood Drive
Services Huntingdon, TN 38344 USA
Tel: (901) 986-2729
Raynald Simard Fax: (901) 986-2739
Superintendent, Human Resources
Development Dean Stout
860, boulevard Cadieux Plant Manager
Valleyfield, QC J6S 4W2 3814 Highway 67 North
Tel: (450) 373-9144 Newport, AR 72112 USA
Fax: (450) 373-0150 Tel: (870) 523-2771
Fax: (870) 523-9411
GENERAL SMELTING
Denis Labrosse W.G. Smith
Chief, Administrative Services Environmental Engineer
1400, rue Norman 1709 Jake Alexander Blvd. South
Lachine, QC H8S 1A8 P.O. Box 1388
Tel: (514) 637-3591 Salisbury, NC 28144 USA
Fax: (514) 637-1294 Tel: (704) 633-6020 ext. 262
Fax: (704) 633-4582
HEATH STEELE MINE
Michael Patterson EXCEL EXTRUSIONS
Senior Coordinator, Safety, Harry Mitchell
Hygiene and Environment Vice-President, Manufacturing
1000 University Street N.E.
Lana O’Shea Warren, OH 44483 USA
Occupational Health and Tel: (330) 372-2300
Safety Nurse Fax: (330) 372-1768
1957 Miramichi Avenue
Bathurst, NB E2A 1Y7 AMERICAN RACING
Tel: (506) 623-4724 EQUIPMENT, INC.
Fax: (506) 623-4789 Maria Zdunkiewicz
Environmental Manager
MATAGAMI DIVISION 19067 S. Reyes Ave.
Jean Lavoie Rancho Dominguez, CA 90221 USA
Senior Environmental Engineer Tel: (310) 761-4918
Matagami, QC J0Y 2A0 Fax: (310) 764-4917
Tel: (819) 739-2511
Fax: (819) 739-5208 Magnesium
MAGNOLA METALLURGY INC.
Alain Bergeron
Superintendent, Environmental
Services
Jean-François Gagnon
Superintendent, Human Resources
and Health and Safety
601, boulevard Simoneau
Asbestos, QC J1T 4G7
Tel: (819) 879-7976
Fax: (819) 879-2413
corporate additional
information information

GENERAL INQUIRIES FALCONBRIDGE LIMITED

For further information about Noranda,
please contact:
Communications Department
P.O. Box 755, BCE Place
181 Bay Street, Suite 4100
Toronto, ON M5J 2T3
(416) 982-7181
request@noranda.com
www.noranda.com
VERSION FRANÇAISE
On peut se procurer la version
française du présent rapport en en
faisant la demande auprès du
service des communications, à
l’adresse mentionnée dans le
coin supérieur gauche.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL
Para obtener una versión en español
de este informe, tenga la bondad de
enviar su solicitud al Departamento
de Communicaciones, a la dirección
que aparece en la parte izquierda
superior de esta página.
IMAGINE
Noranda, along with 430 other
Canadian companies, is recognized for
its commitment to implementing
a policy of:
• donating at least 1% of average
domestic pre-tax profit to
charitable and other non-profit
organizations;
• encouraging current and retired
employees to increase their
personal donations and volunteer
involvement.
Falconbridge has produced its own
1998 Sustainable Development
Report. To request a copy, please
contact: (416) 956-5748 or
corpcomm@falconbridge.ca
95 Wellington Street West,
Suite 1200
Toronto, ON M5J 2V4
NEXFOR AND CANADIAN HUNTER
On December 31, 1998, Noranda Inc.
completed the distribution of the
Company’s interest in Nexfor Inc.
(formerly Noranda Forest) and
Canadian Hunter Exploration Ltd.
To request publications or further
information from Nexfor Inc. or
Canadian Hunter Exploration Ltd.,
please contact:
Nexfor Inc.
Tel: 1 877 2NEXFOR
info@nexfor.com
Canadian Hunter Exploration Ltd.
Tel: 1 888 397-1190
canhunter@chel.com

Cover photos

1 2 3 4

1 Raymond Duchesne and Richard Chouinard check their equipment

at the Horne smelter in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec.
2 A Peruvian woman and her child are pictured, representing
Noranda’s joint venture project at the Antamina mine in Peru.
3 Sylvie Angeloff discusses back care at the Horne smelter. Pictured
with her is Libero Caprio.
4 The Lemhi river near Salmon, Idaho.

Photo captions
page 6 Sylvie Angeloff discusses back care with Libero Caprio
and Patrick Content.
page 11 Wendy Maxey, a Senior Associate at Micro Metallics’ facility
in Roseville, California, sorts through recyclable material.
page 12 Hector Latorre and Rita Silva discuss results while Monica
Guiorguiadez works on top of the mobile monitoring station at the
Altonorte copper smelter.