Iconic Sudbury Super Stack is coming down

SUDBURY — As the second tallest free-standing structure in Canada (behind only the CN Tower) it dominates the Nickel City's skyline and its completion in 1972 was followed by a massive environmental reclamation project involving the planting of hundreds of thousands of trees.

But the company that operates the iconic Super Stack says it is no longer necessary and will eventually be coming down.

Vale announced this morning that emissions improvements mean the massive chimney (the tallest in the western hemisphere) can be taken out of service by mid-2020, when it will be replaced by two much smaller stacks.

When the 381 metre Super Stack was finished in 1972, it allowed sulphur gases and other byproducts of the smelting process to be dispersed away from the city, and Sudbury launched a massive environmental reclamation project, planting hundreds of thousands of trees and liming and seeding some 3,200 hectares.

Right now, Vale uses 94 million cubic metres of natural gas a year, and by moving to the smaller stacks it says it will be able to reduce that to 48 million cubic metres — an annual savings equivalent to the average consumption of 17,000 homes.

The stack isn't going anywhere soon, however. Vale says to expect to see it "for several years to come" as a study is conducted to determine how to take it down safely and carefully.

The full press conference is available in the video above. You can read more about the Super Stack on our sister site, Sudbury.com