Environmental Management and Control

At AEF, we regularly survey the plant ambient air, stacks, groundwater, soil, process equipment, wastewater and storm water to ensure compliance with regulatory and license limits and minimize environmental impact from the plant activities.  The following are our focus areas:

AIR

Examples of strategies used at AEF to ensure clean air include the following:

• AEF is an active member of the Strathcona Industrial Association (SIA), which operates a network of ambient air monitoring stations in Clover bar, Sherwood Park, Elmjay, Gold Bar, Beverly, Clareview and Forest Heights.  Annual reports on local air quality are available at the SIA website.
• We conduct ambient surveys at our plant four times a year.
• Leaks from process equipment (Fugitive Emissions) are controlled through proper selection of valves, seals, flanges etc. etc., and regular emission surveys to identify leaking equipment.  We exceed the regulatory requirement for repair of leaks exceeding 10,000 ppm by setting an internal repair standard of 500 ppm.
• Our product storage tanks are equipped with double-sealed internal floating roofs to reduce emissions.
• A network of 68 gas detectors is installed in the process area.  These continuously monitor for leaks around pumps, compressors and storage tanks.
• In 2006, we installed a meter on our flare line to monitor and minimize flare gases during normal operation.  If a plant upset does occur, process gases are vented to the flare to ensure that equipment is kept within safe operating limits.

Water

Examples of strategies used at AEF to ensure clean water include the following:

• We conduct groundwater surveys four times a year: a network of 50 groundwater monitoring wells is installed throughout the plant site to ensure that groundwater is not being contaminated and/or that no pollutant is migrating offsite.
• Process wastewater, as well as runoff in the process area, is collected at the wastewater ponds.  After testing for quality, the wastewater ponds are discharged to the sanitary sewer for further treatment at the City of Edmonton Gold Bar Wastewater treatment plant
• Clean runoff from the undeveloped areas of the plant, or outside the process area, are collected through a ditch system into the Storm water Pond, and tested before being released into the surrounding watershed.
• We practice water conversation and achieve process cooling by using closed-circuit glycol coolers and fin-fan air coolers.  We do not use water from the river for process cooling.

Waste Management

Examples of strategies used at AEF to ensure wastes are handled properly, include the following:

• All wastes that require offsite disposal are identified and/or tested to ensure that they are properly classified and disposed according to regulations.
• Dryer adsorbents and catalysts are pre-cleaned through regeneration cycle before vessel change out, thereby reducing the quantity of hazardous wastes generated.
• Noble metal catalysts are returned to the supplier for metal recovery.
• Small quantities of similar wastes are combined to minimize handling, or returned to the plant process.

Resource Conservation

• We reuse process off gases as fuel for various heaters and boilers
• We have an Energy Management Team to oversee energy management at AEF, and make recommendations to improve our overall energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gases.