When Big corporations don't read their own handboooks

Folks in Montreal are just a little peeved at Noranda these days, earlier this week the Noranda zinc refinery in Valleyfield, Quebec 50 kilometers west of Montreal released five tonnes of sulphur trioxide into the atmosphere. The chemical release took the form of a cloud which traveled eastward over the suburbs and into downtown Montreal.

Blaming a faulty pump and lack of prevailing winds, Noranda eventually gave out more details as to what happened and why. It seems that with no wind to speak of, the cloud just kind of hovered over the city for a longer than usual amount of time. The folks at Noranda added that normally in these situations, the cloud dissipates long before anyone is inconvenienced. However, one is not sure if it’s reassuring to realize that this may not be a particularly unusual situation for the company.

Some People in Greater Montreal complained of sore throats and general irritation during the four hour event. Making matters worse for many of the residents of Greater Montreal was the fact that Noranda never actually informed anyone of the mishap until much later on in the event. In fact it wasn't until one family contacted police to report the problem, that anyone knew of the situation.

Noranda officials say that they contacted provincial emergency officials as soon as the event began, but somehow it seems the word did not get out too effectively, they are currently reviewing their communications strategy.

This might be a wise decision for the folks at Noranda, as from their corporate website we found these little Public Relations gems. Kind of a mission statement if you will about responsibility.

From the Corporate Responsibility section of the website is this under the title of Open Dialogue:

Because Noranda has obligations to its communities, we strive to maintain open communication and dialogue. This is an important aspect of doing business, and we are continually working to build alliances within the communities in which we operate. Operations throughout Noranda ensure that local risks are communicated, often in collaboration with community organizations.

Also under the Corporate Responsibility section is a section called Donations and Sponsorships:

Health - In order to continue offering the superior health care available in Canada, many health care agencies depend on corporate support for funding not covered by government grants. Through our limited budget, contributions are considered for hospital campaigns in the communities where we operate, and prevention-oriented programs on a national level.

People in Greater Montreal may wish to apply for some health funding should things go awry again at Valleyfield.

At any rate, it might be a wise corporate legal department which reinforces the idea of alliances and communications to the PR department. Long before the next sulphur cloud works its way over the second largest city in the nation!