In the few years prior to 2003, some slag has been excavated from the slag pile in Greenwood as a raw material for producing mineral wool by Roxul (West) International Inc. in Grand Forks. Greenwood Slag Ltd. was reported to be bulk sampling late in 2003. In 2003, MRI Americas purchased slag from Greenwood, trucked it to Mission, shipped it on barges to Texada Island then on ships on to Poland, where it will be used to produce lead crystal and abrasives. An initial 25,000 tonnes was extracted and significantly more demand was anticipated in 2003 but no follow-up production is recorded for 2004 and 2005.

The BC Copper Company smelter was built by the British Columbia Copper Company of New York that had bought the Mother Lode mine in 1898. The smelter was erected at the mouth of Copper Creek (Mother Lode Creek) in the town of Anaconda, just south of Greenwood. It opened in February 1901 and operated 24 hours a day, employing 47 men during the first year. Waste slag was taken from the smelter by rail in 23-tonne bell-shaped slag cars, and dumped nearby.