Sudbury superstack obsolete? Vale studies whether to take down icon

Sudbury's skyline may drastically change in the next few years. Globalmining giantVale is studying whether to tear down itsiconic superstack.

Vale's vice-president of operations for Ontario, Kelly Strong, saidemissions at the company's smelter have been reduced to the point thata smaller smoke stack may be all that is needed.

"I think we have to look at if it isn't in use any longer," he said. "We obviously put a significant amount of maintenance into thatsuperstackright now, and I think we have to look at long term, what is the cost-benefit analysis of keeping it up."

• AUDIO| Vale looking to take down superstack
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The superstack has marked Sudbury's skyline since it was built by the Sudbury minerINCO in 1970 to reduce environmental degradation in the city. INCO was purchased by Vale in 2006.

Strong said Vale isstudying the feasibility of reducing the size of the 380-metre stack or eliminating it altogether. If Vale chooses to remove it, he said athird party company would be hired todecommissionand tear down the stack.

Reduction in greenhouse gases

A smaller smokestack at the Vale smelter is a sign less fossil fuel isbeing released into the environment, said JohnGunn, a director at Vale's Living with Lakes Centre atLaurentianUniversity.

Thesuperstack was built for a time when the companyneeded to dissipate the fumes from the smelter, he said. Now that it has cutback on emissions, it's wasting energy using the superstack.

Gunn said a smaller stack would use less fossil fuels, which would help to bring down global greenhouse gas emissions.

"As Sudbury was so famous for reducing its sulphur dioxide, it's nice to see a company making a serious effort to reduce its fossil fuel use as well," he said.

"If Vale can clean up its smokestack, make it a more efficient stack that doesn't produce as much greenhouse gas, at the same time they're dealing with they're own pollutants, then all the better."

Vale is expected to make a decision about the superstack early next year.

Here's a look at what the Sudbury skyline might look like without the stack:

Some people have responded online to the possible destruction of the superstack: