Environmental impact assessment at Outokumpu's Tornio plant
The environmental impact assessment program (EIA) describes the plans for assessing the environmental impact of a possible expansion of certain business areas at the plants of Outokumpu Stainless Oy and Outokumpu Chrome Oy in Tornio. The expansion, if approved, concerns changes in the steel production process, the construction of a facility for recovering metallic dust, the enhancement of heating capacity, the expansion of harbor activities, the construction of a calcination plant for metallic sludge and a sulphuric acid treatment plant, as well as facilities for the production of stone material products from meltshop slag.
The aim of these projects is to increase steel production at the Tornio plants, safeguard the recycling of metal from recyclable materials, reduce the volume of processing waste dumped at dumping sites and to develop new stone material products through modifications in the steelmaking process.
The intention is to raise annual steel production capacity from 1.7 million tons to 2.0 million tons. The plans also include an annual processing capacity of around 80 000 tons for the dust recovery plant and 22 000 tons for the calcination plant (calciner). According to plans, the heating capacity will be enhanced by raising the output to 80-120MW, which would include the production of district heating and process steam and possibly also electricity. The expansion of harbor activities at Röyttä concerns the building of a new dock (140m) and a navigable channel (3.5km). The plans also include the construction of a basin separated from the sea to cope with the amounts of sand dredged during maintenance activities and the deepening of the channel and harbor area around Tornio. The extent of the production of stone material products to be developed will be determined by market demand and by the success of the development activities.
The environmental impact assessment procedure will examine the construction of a dust recovery plant for two different capacities. As part of the project for the expansion of heating capacity, two alternatives are being considered: a steam boiler plant powered by heavy fuel oil, or a power station fuelled by peat/wood-chips, as well as two sites for these plants. For the basin planned for handling dredged deposits, the main alternative and two alternative sites are being examined. The zero alternative is a description of the situation should the projects not proceed.
All inhabitants, citizens, environmental organizations and other concerned parties based in the vicinity of the project area have an opportunity to voice their opinions on the EIA program and on the planned projects. The appropriate authority to contact in these matters is Lappland's centre for environmental affairs (Lapplands miljöcentral), which in its public notice to describe how the EIA program is presented for public examination, provides more detailed information on how and when such opinions may be presented.
On the basis of the EIA program and those opinions and statements of opinion presented in connection therewith, an environmental impact assessment will be drafted. This will include facts about the projects and their alternatives as well as an assessment of their environmental impact. The environmental impact assessment will describe and assess the impact in accordance with the Finnish Act on Environmental Impact Assessment Procedure, including air quality, water courses, noise levels, ground, flora and fauna, and also the landscape and developed areas. The aim is to conclude the EIA procedure for the projects at the end of 2004.
For further information, please contact:
Risto Liisanantti, Vice President, Administration,
Outokumpu Stainless Oy,
tel: +358 400 581 628, +358 16 452 628
Juha Ylimaunu, Vice President, Environmental Affairs,
Outokumpu Stainless Oy,
tel: +358 40 501 885