Algoma Steel explains: what is ‘flushing liquor?’

When Ontario's Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks told us on Monday that a weekend piping collapse at Algoma Steel had caused an unknown amount of 'flushing liquor' to spill from its coke-making plant, we contacted the steelmaker to learn more about flushing liquor.

Here's the response we got from Laura Devoni, Algoma's director of corporate affairs and sustainability:

The flushing liquor or the process water is actually used to cool the coke oven gases. It contains trace contaminants.

So the liquor or process water – flushing water – goes in the coke oven gas main.

It's sprayed in the coke oven gas main to cool the coke oven gas. And as it cools the coke oven gas, trace amounts of contaminants from the coke oven gas enter the process water in a closed loop system.

When we had the incident, that process water exited onto the ground and got into the sewer system, which is connected to [Algoma Steel's] wastewater treatment plants. And that's where it's diluted with even more water.

About the flushing liquor, it's processed water with trace amounts of contaminants. It's incredibly diluted by the time it goes through a wastewater treatment plant.

Algoma Steel intends to stop using its coke ovens once the new electric arc furnaces are operational, and the condition of its coke facilities have been the subject of adverse commentary in recent months.

Asked if she wished to address that, Devoni told us: "We maintain all of our assets."

On Saturday, Devoni briefed stakeholders, including nearby municipalities and First Nations, on the collapse.

She was doing that again on Monday night.

"We are going to issue an updated release in the morning before markets open," she said.

"We will address or cover some of the environment-related issues or concerns. It will cover some production-related information or updates or updates relating to the environment."

The company's shares dropped 52 cents or 4.26 per cent to close at $11.70 on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Monday.

In other news, Pomerantz LLP, a law firm with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris and Tel Aviv known for aggressively pursuing class-action suits, announced Monday night that it's investigating claims on behalf of investors of Algoma Steel Group Inc.

"The investigation concerns whether Algoma and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices," the firm said in a news release.

None of those claims, which relate to the weekend pipe collapse, have been tested in court and Algoma Steel is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.