Continuous Investment in Environmental Initiatives

Environmental protection at Aurubis Buffalo

Aurubis Buffalo has fabricated copper products since 1906.

Our fully integrated plant has approximately 550 employees. We house a copper and copper alloy cast shop, hot and cold rolling mills, annealing furnaces, and slitting operations. In 2003, the plant became the first rolling mill for copper alloys in North America to earn TS 16949 certification, a quality management certificate based on ISO 9001. The investment program to modernize the plant is continuously updated.

Aurubis Buffalo maintains environmental protection facilities to protect the environment and minimize emissions. A dedicated filter separates casting off-gases from the atmosphere after passing through control devices (baghouses). The company's on-site treatment plant neutralizes and treats acidic rinse water from copper/alloy cleaning operations; a major focus of recent capital investments. In the waste treatment plant, filter cakes are produced which contain valuable metals and are recycled.

90% of Aurubis Buffalo's electricity consumption is obtained from a renewable power source, the Niagara Falls hydroelectrical generation plant.

The introduction of an environmental management system in accordance with ISO 14001 has been implemented.

Aurubis Buffalo is in full compliance with federal and state regulatory requirements and laws.

We are continually raising awareness of new and changing environmental regulations through an education program that all employees participate in, which includes executive management and hourly workers to ensure all employees at Aurubis Buffalo are aware of federal and state regulatory systems.

Beyond the main environmental targets, the following activities were carried out to benefit Buffalo's employees and the environment during the reporting period:

• Continually re-evaluating the plant and processes waste reduction for potential opportunities
• Installation of high-level alarms with automatic shutoffs on production equipment containment sumps. Conversion of the Cast Shop bag house sprinkler system from a “wet” to a “dry” system.
• Secondary containment enclosure for baghouse cyclone system