Here is an article that I somehow missed written in October 2010. It is essentially an article about building a hydro-powered smelter in the port of Kitimat to refine the copper coming out of the many mines soon to be nearby. I think it is extremely interesting because it is proposed by an environmental group to refine locally, and then market the copper as "green." Finally a solution that works with business to build a better environment without just standing in opposition and offering no alternatives.

"Enemark maintains that Kitimat is still "the best site on the whole Pacific rim to locate a copper smelter," situated on a natural shipping route between Santiago (Chile) and Tokyo. From this location, a "toll smelter" could source copper concentrates from not only B.C., but anywhere in the world. Miners would save the expense of fuelling ships to transport copper across the Pacific Ocean, which is only going to get more expensive; they would also likely get paid faster and receive a better price for other minerals -- like gold and silver -- often present in the concentrate.

"You build these complexes and they become much more than just a smelter," he says, noting the potential for spin-off businesses, including fertilizer plants using sulphur, a smelting waste product. A B.C. smelter could also "recycle" the scrap copper currently collected in B.C. and sent to Asia.

Bourquin points to the near-future when the economics of low-carbon copper will improve as "dirty" Asian-smelted copper will be penalized in developed world marketplaces much the same way rainforest old-growth is already demonized. Future carbon-trading schemes and carbon taxes will evolve as well to encourage the green industries B.C. will need to prosper."

http://thetyee.ca/News/2010/10/05/GreenCopperSuperpower/