m u^ Dale Duetta, manager of environmental and technical affairs, began tackling the problem in 1990 and started a technical study in 1992. The result was the Water Management Plan. The plan was to use the company's south quarry, which was mined out in the mid-80s, as a holding unit from which water could be re-used (the company's north quarry is still being mined). Under the plan, Essroc would stop taking in water from the harbour and use the water that has filled the south quarry. So the company installed a valve where the water was formerly discharged after use, and re-routed the water to the south quarry. There, two primary holding tanks, also known as settling basins, were constructed within the quarry. The first holding tank is used to allow any large particles in the water to settle before the water is released into the main section of the quarry, or common basin. The second holding tank is used for collecting water that accumulates in the north quarry and formerly had to be pumped out. Now it is pumped into the second holding tank and once it has settled do so we took the bull by the there, is also drained into the horn and did it." Along with complying with primary basin, where it can remain for up to 30 days. It's MISA regulations, the new system eliminates the then pumped into the plant by a new, problem of zebra mussels and gizstate of the art zard shad, which pump house conhad become such a structed at the side problem that they of the common basin. occasionally caused * It was just the shut down of Nearly 1.6 kilothe right thing metres of drainage the plant. As well, ditches were consediment stirred up to do so we took by lake freighters structed on Essroc the bull by the property, to collect at the plant's dockstorm water ing facilities, and horn and did it. runoff, snow melt, weeds stirred up used water from by storms, were the plant, and drawn into the diswater collected in tribution system the north basin, to and caused maintethe primary basin in the south nance problems. quarry. Duetta says the company is Construction on the project currently doing a chemical monibegan in August, 1998 and the toring program of the water to system became operational in determine if there is any change April at a cost of $2.5 million, to its quality over a 12 month says Duetta. period. To date, he says, the sys"It was just he right thing to tem is working well. 9