July 27, 2023, Toronto: Receiving the 2022 Michel Létourneau Award on behalf of the Mine’s Environment and Energy & Infrastructure (E&I) Teams: L-R: Martin Plante, Vice President, Nunavut; Bruno Laverdure, Energy & Infrastructure Superintendent; Matt Gillman, Environmental Superintendent; Michel Létourneau, Corporate Director, Health, Safety and Security (Retired); Ammar Al-Joundi, President & CEO.
Reducing dust emissions is an environmental challenge that Agnico Eagle has prioritized particularly in dry, cold climates such as in Nunavut.
At the Meliadine Mine, the Environment and Energy & Infrastructure (E&I) Teams have been testing out new techniques to reduce dust generation with filtered tailings within the dry stack tailings facility at the mine.
After several configurations and numerous trials over the past two years, the Environment and E&I Teams came up with a winning solution: a piece of equipment named the ‘Nilas’, which operates similar to a Zamboni by applying a fine layer of water to the surface of the tailings, creating a thin layer of ice to seal the surface for dust mitigation.
In March 2022, the ‘Nilas’ successfully sealed the entire western portion of the Meliadine’s tailings storage facility, resulting in noticeable dust reduction in the area.
In honour of this remarkable achievement, the Environment and E&I Teams have won the 2022 Michel Létourneau Award, which is presented annually to an Agnico Eagle employee or team that makes a strong contribution to teamwork, productivity improvements, cost control, innovation, accident prevention and health and safety.
The award was presented to Meliadine representatives Matt Gillman, Environmental Superintendent, and Bruno Laverdure, Energy & Infrastructure Superintendent, during a July 27th ceremony in Toronto celebrating employee Good Moves in health, safety, environment, community and business throughout 2022.
The award was presented by Ammar Al-Joundi, President & CEO, Patrice Gilbert, former Vice President Health, Safety, Security & Advisor Indigenous Affairs, and the award’s namesake, our former colleague Michel Létourneau. Now retired, Michel was a visionary leader of our health, safety and security programs.
During the ceremony, Ammar said, “This is an innovative solution you should all be very proud of – one that holds immense importance not only for our operations, but also for reducing and mitigating the environmental footprint at our operations. Dust reduction plays a significant role in improving air quality, protecting ecosystems, preserving water resources – which ultimately promote a more sustainable and ecologically balanced environment.”
In accepting the award, Matt Gillman thanked the Environment and E&I Teams for working tirelessly to develop and refine the ‘Nilas’ solution. “It has been an honour to work alongside some of the most exceptionally skilled and dedicated professionals in the industry. Together, we’ve obtained great results, which will help minimize and mitigate the impacts of our operations on the environment and maintain its viability and diversity.”
Over the past nine years, the Good Moves campaign has highlighted more than 4,000 employee contributions that have improved Agnico Eagle’s health, safety, environmental and business performance.