 Water Water is essential to all life and is one of our most critical sustainability areas.We are committed to responsibly  balancing the social, economic, recreational and cultural benefits of water resources, within ecologically  sustainable limits.  One important focus of our water sustainability work is selenium management. In 2012, as part of our efforts to protect  water quality in the area around our steelmaking coal operations, we began construction on our first full-scale water  treatment plant to remove selenium from affected water at our Line Creek Operations. Selenium is a naturally occurring  element, essential for human and animal health, that is present in very small amounts in some rocks. However, its  release to watercourses can be accelerated by mining activity, creating a potential risk for ecosystems. We expect to  spend substantial amounts on water treatment and water management, as well as on research and development to  improve selenium management. Each year we recycle or reuse about 200 million  cubic metres of water in mining processes at our  operations. Managing Water Responsibly Pictured above: Red Dog Creek near Red Dog Operations in Alaska 28 Teck 2012 Annual Report