Vale officially launches $2B emissions project in Sudbury

International nickel miner Vale officially broke ground Friday morning in Sudbury on its $2 billion Clean AER project — an undertaking that sees the company aim for a 70 per cent reduction in sulphur dioxide emissions from current levels at the company's smelter in Copper Cliff. The project also aims to cut down dust and metals emissions by a further 35-40 per cent.

The acronym AER stands for Atmospheric Emissions Reduction.

In attendance at the morning ceremony was Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty, who is in Sudbury for the weekend for the Ontario Liberal Party Provincial Council, along with Minister of Northern Development and Mines Rick Bartolucci, Environment Minister Jim Bradley and Greater Sudbury Mayor Marianne Matichuk.

McGuinty said the project is an example of Sudbury taking a leadership role in the mining industry.

"We're always innovating and looking for new ways of doing mining and the processing and today's project that we talked about is an excellent example of northern innovation once again," he said.

Vale said the project is scheduled to be completed by 2015 and is expected to create 1,300 jobs.