SUDBURY -- A loud bang heard in Sault Ste. Marie early Thursday morning was the result of a liquid slag dump at Algoma Steel.
"We can confirm last night at approximately 1 a.m., liquid slag came in contact with some residual water on the ground, causing an explosive reaction," said Algoma spokesperson Brenda Stenta in an email to CTV News.
"Everyone was safe and there were no injuries or impact to operations."
Stenta said dumping liquid slag at the company's Material Reprocessing facility is "a regular, daily occurrence and a necessary step in the steelmaking process.
"Once cooled, the slag is recycled for reuse in concrete and road construction applications," she said.
"Every effort is made to ensure the surface is dry and the pit is contained. Sincere apologies to our neighbours for the late-night boom."