Waste and by-products management
Waste audit
A waste stream audit was conducted in Alberta in 2009, with 41 opportunities for improvement identified. We will continue to address findings from the audit to reduce waste streams.
Ash lagoon strategy
As a result of an ash lagoon breach in Alberta in 2008, TransAlta is seeking environmentally safe ways to manage the waste captured and stored in lagoons.
Results of the Alberta lagoon breech show that original engineering work was faulty. Studies show that the repaired dyke is reliable and will remain our short to medium term solution. In 2010, TransAlta will undertake engineering evaluations of longer term solutions for the Alberta lagoon to prevent future problems.
By-products
Once thought to be waste, coal combustion products such as gypsum, cenospheres, bottom ash and fly ash, now have value. Non-hazardous, these include:
- About 110,000 tons of synthetic gypsum produced annually at Centralia are sold to a plant in Tacoma, Washington to make wallboard
- Cenospheres produced at Keephills are sold for use in cement-based products, paints and plastics and in bowling balls
- Fly ash from Sundance and Centralia was used in cement for Vancouver’s Olympic Village and the Park Bridge in Golden, British Columbia
