Vale is working diligently to clean up a contained spill of nickel concentrate on company property after a storage tank failed at the Manitoba Operations earlier today.

 

At approximately 5:50 a.m., the storage tank failure released nickel concentrate slurry into the parking lot near the main entrance of the Concentrator. The release was contained on site with no injuries and no subsequent risk to employees or contractors.

 

Vale responded immediately with a clean-up effort focused on the surrounding area that is expected to be completed over the weekend. During this period, traffic into the plant site is reduced to a single lane.  

 

The appropriate authorities, including the Environmental Emergency Response Team from Manitoba Conservation and Climate, were notified and all parties are working collaboratively to ensure a safe and complete cleanup. An investigation into the cause of the failure is underway.

 

The concentrator is the first step in separating valuable minerals from waste. Nickel concentrate at Vale’s Manitoba operation contains roughly 17% nickel.