ESAA Weekly News – Weed ending January 14th, 2022

Survey finds oilsands environmental monitoring ineffective after 10 years

(Source: CBC News) Alberta doesn’t have a good grasp of the overall environmental impacts of the oilsands a decade after implementing monitoring that was supposed to provide it, internal government documents suggest.

In July, Alberta Environment and Parks surveyed dozens of scientists and other participants in the Oilsands Monitoring Program, a joint federal-provincial program that has run under various names since 2012 and is funded by an annual $50-million levy from industry. A copy of that survey was obtained by The Canadian Press.

Of the 112 people surveyed, 26 responded. They expressed concerns from a lack of overall direction to poor communication to an arbitrary and inadequate funding cap being gradually nibbled away by inflation.

“We still have significant concerns with the … program’s ability to develop a robust, world-class monitoring program as intended,” said a response from the Alberta Environmental Network, which has delegates on several of the program’s technical committees.

It points out that funding has remained unchanged since 2012 despite inflation, amounting to a nearly nine-per-cent cut.

“We know of no independent analysis suggesting $50 million is adequate,” the network said.

As a result, it says, crucial questions are going unanswered.

Despite the fact wetlands cover about a quarter of the oilsands area, funding for wetlands research was more than halved in 2021-22 after being cut two-thirds the previous year. Terrestrial monitoring, which looks into the status of plants and animals, was cut by two-thirds for the coming year after a 50 per cent cut last year.

The network said no research has been funded into the risk posed by industry’s toxic tailings ponds.

No one from Alberta Environment and Parks responded to a request for comment on the survey.

Most survey respondents reported there was little communication and co-ordination between different scientific groups.

“Communication in the [program] sucks,” one respondent wrote.

“It is clear that members of committees have no clear direction on the purpose and priorities of the program,” wrote another.

Several said the program gathered useful data, but did nothing with it.

“There were a significant number of work plans that included monitoring activities, but no analysis,” said one.

Most respondents said decisions on which research would be funded were inconsistent and came too late to prepare for that year’s field season.

“To fund an employee’s position one year but not the next, but possibly the year after that is poor management,” said one comment.

The survey did not include numerical breakdowns of its responses.

Mandy Olsgard, who represents Indigenous communities on several program committees, said in an interview that no overall plan guides research decisions. Instead, funds are granted based on proposals from individual researchers.

“We see arbitrary cuts to work plans or technical components that aren’t based on science,” she said. “It’s just trying to get to that [$50 million] number.

“It’s not to say the data’s not there. It just hasn’t been brought together … to say what the effect on the environment is. We don’t understand the cumulative effects of oilsands mining right now, full stop.”

Kelman Wieder is a biologist from Pennsylvania’s Villanova University who has been studying oilsands region wetlands for decades and has published several papers showing how development has affected them. His funding has been entirely cut.

“The approach is, let’s go out and collect some data, bottle-dipping or bug-counting or whatever, put those data into notebooks, stick it on a shelf and call it good,” he said.

Alberta’s monitoring is set up backwards, said Wieder.

“My approach would be let’s design the best program and see what it’s going to cost and see if the money’s there. And if the money’s not there, let’s go back and take a look at the design and see what we can do.

“That doesn’t seem to be the approach.”

He said Alberta seems to be trying to monitor its environment on the cheap.

“I have heard repeatedly that the goal … is to have a monitoring program that is quick, easy and cheap and can be done by people with minimal expertise. That’s just a bizarre set of goals.”

Wieder was firm when asked if the industry’s environmental impact is well understood.

“Absolutely not,” he said. “Not even close.”

 

Creek in Banff that was reduced to a trickle by Minnewanka dam almost restored

(Source: CBC News) A multi-year project is nearing completion that aims to restore a creek in Banff National Park that has been reduced over the decades to a mere trickle. 

Cascade Creek is a nine-kilometre stretch of stream that flows from the Lake Minnewanka reservoir. It used to flow all the way south to the Bow River, but in the years since the dam was built in 1941, the stream has slowly dried up and the old river bed filled with fine sediment.

The creek’s natural habitat also suffered from the introduction of non-native fish species, particularly brook trout, which have been able to out-compete the native westslope cutthroat trout, said Parks Canada ecologist Helen Irwin, who is leading the project.

“The Cascade Creek restoration project is essentially trying to bring the stream back to life, and restore it as a home for westslope cutthroat trout, which is now a threatened species at risk,” she said.

“If you look at a map of what the westslope cutthroat trout range used to be and what it is now, it is just a tiny portion of it,” she said.

 

The image on the left shows the creek bed prior to restoration, and the image on the right shows the same spot after restoration work. (Parks Canada)

The restoration project began in 2010, but the catastrophic flooding in 2013 actually pushed things ahead faster than anticipated.

“A sudden release of floodwater from the Minnewanka dam during the flood of 2013, followed the old Cascade river bed and scoured away years of accumulated sediment within a few days,” the Parks Canada website says.

In the wake of the flood, Parks Canada, TransAlta and the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans jointly developed a plan to restore the creek and reconnect it with the Bow River.

Crews have now replaced pipes and culverts to accommodate increased flows and installed an upstream fish barrier to prevent non-native fish from re-entering the stream channel.

“We’ve also been able to plant approximately 2,500 native trees and shrubs to help create healthy stream bank habitat along portions of the restored channel,” Irwin said.

Enough progress has been made that Parks Canada scientists are aiming to start re-introducing the westslope cutthroat trout as early as next year.

Irwin says that the restoration work is complex and takes years to achieve.

“We’ve been able to make significant progress and we’re really excited about the next steps in our project,” she said. 

“What we would really like people to take away from it, is that it is possible to restore freshwater ecosystems and to recover species at risk.”

 

Saskatchewan: Remediation projects continuing for oil and gas sector in southwest

(Source: Swift Current Online) Work already completed province-wide includes; 3,100 well abandonments, 830 flowline abandonments, 25 facility decommissions, and more than 5,500 site remediations (photo by David Zammit)

It’s the final call for southwestern Saskatchewan oil and gas companies to receive funding for reclamation projects.

Earlier this week the provincial government announced the third phase of the Accelerated Site Closure Program (ASCP) is now open that will allocate around $55 million to help clean up inactive wells across Saskatchewan.

“The program has been very well received,” Saskatchewan’s Energy and Resources Minister Bronwyn Eyre said. “I talked to the sector workers all the time and they tell me they’ve been happy with the efficiency of the program, the rollout of the program, the administration, the transparency of what is happening, and the phases of it.”

The ASPC was kick-started in May of 2020 by the federal government for Saskatchewan, Alberta, and B.C. through their COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, with each province overseeing the logistics. Combined, the three provinces could obtain up to $1.7 billion in funding, with $400 million of that earmarked for Saskatchewan.

“As of November 30, the ASCP has issued $316 million in work packages,” she said. “That’s to companies to hire Saskatchewan-based oil and gas service companies across the province so that’s translated into a lot of Saskatchewan people working in every one of our oil and gas producing regions.”

Southwestern Saskatchewan has received just under one-sixth of the total dough ($51 million) dolled out to this point with $23 million in work in the region already completed, 61 per cent of which within the last six months.

“A lot of work is occurring in the shallow gas wells in that area,” she said.

According to the ministry, 66 major service companies are eligible to work under the program from the southwest.

“About 16 minor contractors have also participated from the southwest area,” she said. “Services like fencing and seeding.”

The program is slated to come to a close on February 28, 2022, and Eyre is confident Saskatchewan will award all of the potential funding before that date.

“We always felt it was important to fund 100 per cent of eligible costs because we consider this to be a major infrastructure and economic stimulus program for the province,” she said.

 

Ontario: Testing, tracking and registration of Excess Soil now required under Excess Soil Regulation

On January 1, 2022,the testing, tracking and filing obligations of the Excess Soil Regulation came into effect, requiring construction and development Project Leaders and Operators/Owners of soil Reuse Sites, and Residential Development Soil Depot sites to file notices about how they reuse and dispose of Excess Soil in Ontario.

Notices must be filed through the Excess Soil Registry. The Ontario Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority  (RPRA) established and maintains the Registry, and supports Registry users.

About the Excess Soil Regulation

Rules related to the reuse of Excess Soil in Ontario are detailed in the Excess Soil Regulation. The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks is responsible for policy and programs related to Excess Soil and, for conducting compliance and enforcement activities under the Excess Soil Regulation.

About the Excess Soil Registry

The three portals that can be used to access the Excess Soil Registry as follows:

  • The Registry Portal enables regulated persons to comply with registration and notice filing requirements outlined in the regulation. As part of the notice filing process, Registry users may be required to pay a fee upon completion of a notice filing to cover RPRA’s costs for building, maintaining, and operating the Registry and supporting Registry users. The 2022 Excess Soil Registry Fee Schedule can be viewed here.
  • The Public Portal enables transparency by allowing the public to access publicly available information contained in notice filings.
  • The Internal Database is available to designated ministry staff and facilitates compliance with the regulation by enabling the ministry to access notice filings and associated data.

The RPRA has provided a suite of training materials to help Registry users with accessing and navigating the Registry portals.

 

Federal Environment minister’s new mandate and to-do list for 2022

(Source: EnvironmentJournal.com)  Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has provided updated mandates for his ministers, including Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault.

“During a difficult time, Canadians made a democratic choice. They entrusted us to finish the fight against COVID-19 and support the recovery of a strong middle class. At the same time, they also gave us clear direction: to take bold, concrete action to build a healthier, more resilient future,” writes Trudeau in his mandate letter.

“We will work to build that brighter future through continued collaboration, engagement, and the use of science and evidence-based decision-making. With an unwavering focus on delivering results, we will work constructively with Parliamentarians and maintain our strong partnerships with provincial, territorial and municipal governments and Indigenous partners. This decade has had an incredibly difficult start, but this is the moment to rebuild a more resilient, inclusive and stronger country for everyone.

 

The science is clear. Canadians have been clear. We must not only continue taking real climate action, we must also move faster and go further. As Canadians are increasingly experiencing across the country, climate change is an existential threat. Building a cleaner, greener future will require a sustained and collaborative effort from all of us. As Minister, I expect you to seek opportunities within your portfolio to support our whole-of-government effort to reduce emissions, create clean jobs and address the climate-related challenges communities are already facing.”

According to the letter, the minister is expected to deliver on the federal  government’s Climate Plan, including the policy and fiscal measures outlined in the Strengthened Climate Plan, adopting additional measures to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

The minister is expected to set out by the end of March 2022 how Canada will meet our legislated 2030 climate goals. This will include new measures related to capping and cutting oil and gas sector emissions, further reducing methane emissions across the economy, mandating the sale of zero-emissions vehicles and setting us on a path to achieve an electricity grid with net-zero emissions by 2035. You will also work with your colleagues and crown corporations to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies by 2023. The work to protect communities and our abundant and diverse natural habitats and waters, including by advancing Indigenous-led conservation efforts, will also be crucial to secure a cleaner, healthier and greener future for Canadians.

The minister has been asked to deliver on several key commitments, including:

  • Drive the Strengthened Climate Plan, implement the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, and, by the end of March 2022, bring forward an updated Emissions Reduction Plan to achieve a 40 to 45 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030 from 2005 levels.
  • Work with all Canadians and the Net-Zero Advisory Body to identify ways to further accelerate climate action to achieve net-zero emissions as soon as possible and no later than 2050 and to pursue efforts to limit the increase in average global temperatures to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
  • With the support of the Minister of Natural Resources, cap oil and gas sector emissions at current levels and ensure that the sector makes an ambitious and achievable contribution to meeting the country’s 2030 climate goals. This effort will take into account the advice of the Net-Zero Advisory Body and others.
  • Make progress on methane emission reductions by developing a plan to reduce emissions across the broader Canadian economy consistent with the Global Methane Pledge and require through regulations the reduction of oil and gas methane emissions in Canada by at least 75 per cent below 2012 levels by 2030.
  • Work with the Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development to continue Canada’s leadership on the global effort to phase out coal-powered electricity and the mining of thermal coal and ban thermal coal exports from and through Canada as swiftly as possible, and no later than 2030.
  • Work with the Minister of International Development to mobilize and provide climate finance in order to support developing country adaptation, mitigation and resilience, including support for small island states at particular risk of climate-related emergencies.
  • Support the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry in the implementation of the Net Zero Accelerator initiative, with an emphasis on ensuring that investments drive industrial transition and significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions on a scale consistent with achieving Canada’s climate goals and meaningfully transform Canadian industry to lead and compete in a net-zero emissions future.
  • Work with industry, labour, and other stakeholders to develop a regulated sales mandate that at least 50 per cent of all new light duty vehicle sales be zero emissions vehicles in 2030 as an interim step toward achieving Canada’s mandatory target of 100 per cent by 2035, and a regulated sales requirement that 100 per cent of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles sales be zero emission by 2040, where feasible.
  • With the support of the Minister of Natural Resources, introduce a Clean Electricity Standard to achieve a net-zero clean electricity grid by 2035 and achieve a 100 per cent net-zero emitting electricity future.
  • Support efforts to advance the Atlantic Loop initiative to connect surplus clean power to regions transitioning away from coal and to help transform how we power our economy and communities.
  • Continue to put a rising price on pollution and protect Canadian jobs and competitiveness through smart carbon pricing design.
  • Finalize Canada’s first National Adaptation Strategy in 2022, setting clear goals and indicators to measure progress and strengthen the business case for adaptation.
  • Work with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, and with the support of the Minister of Natural Resources, to accelerate our G20 commitment to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies from 2025 to 2023, and develop a plan to phase out public financing of the fossil fuel sector, including by federal Crown corporations.
  • Support the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in working with provinces and territories to move toward mandatory climate-related financial disclosures based on the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures framework, and in requiring federally regulated institutions, including financial institutions, pension funds and government agencies, to issue climate-related financial disclosures and net-zero plans.
  • Work with the President of the Treasury Board on the application of a climate lens to ensure climate adaptation and mitigation considerations are integrated throughout federal government decision-making.
  • Work with the Minister of Public Safety and the President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, with support of the Minister of Natural Resources, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry and the Sustainable Finance Action Council, to develop a climate data strategy to ensure that the private sector and communities have access to data to inform planning and infrastructure investments.
  • With the support of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, establish a Canada Water Agency and implement a strengthened Freshwater Action Plan, including a historic investment to provide funding to protect and restore large lakes and river systems, starting with the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River System, Lake Simcoe, the Lake Winnipeg Basin, the Fraser River Basin and the Mackenzie River Basin. Invest in the Experimental Lakes Area in northern Ontario to support international freshwater science and research.
  • Following the establishment of a Canada Water Agency, advance the modernization of the Canada Water Act to reflect Canada’s freshwater reality, including climate change and Indigenous rights.
  • To achieve Zero Plastic Waste by 2030:
    • Continue to implement the national ban on harmful single-use plastics;
    • Require that all plastic packaging in Canada contain at least 50 per cent recycled content by 2030;
    • Accelerate the implementation of the zero plastic waste action plan, in partnership with provinces and territories;
    • Continue to work with provinces and territories to ensure that producers, not taxpayers, are responsible for the cost of managing their plastic waste.
  • Enact a strengthened Canadian Environmental Protection Act to protect everyone, including people most vulnerable to harm from toxic substances and those living in communities where exposure is high.
  • Identify, and prioritize the clean-up of, contaminated sites in areas where Indigenous Peoples, racialized and low- income Canadians live.
  • Recognize the “right to a healthy environment” in federal law and introduce legislation to require the development of an environmental justice strategy and the examination of the link between race, socio-economic status and exposure to environmental risk.
  • Continue to work with the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and partners to ensure Canada meets its goals to conserve 25 per cent of our lands and waters by 2025 and 30 per cent of each by 2030, working to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030 in Canada, achieve a full recovery for nature by 2050 and champion this goal internationally. You will ensure that this work remains grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge and local perspectives.
  • Work with First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners to support new Indigenous Guardians programs and establish new Indigenous Guardians Networks, and support Indigenous communities to build capacity to establish more Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas.
  • Establish 10 new national parks and 10 new national marine conservation areas (NMCAs) in the next five years, working with Indigenous communities on co-management agreements for these national parks and NMCAs.
  • To ensure all Canadians have access to green space, establish at least one new national urban park in every province and territory, with a target of 15 new urban parks by 2030. You will also invest in existing national parks, with more Canadians than ever before visiting these sites.
  • In collaboration with the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and the Minister of Indigenous Services, continue to work in partnership with First Nations, Inuit and the Métis Nation to address climate change and its impacts, and chart collaborative strategies.
  • Work with the Minister of Natural Resources to help protect old growth forests, notably in British Columbia, by reaching a nature agreement with B.C., establishing a $50 million B.C. Old Growth Nature Fund, and ensuring First Nations, local communities and workers are partners in shaping the path forward for nature protection.
  • Continue to build and connect the Trans Canada Trail and create new opportunities for Canadians to access it, by increasing annual funding and growing the trail network to help create 10,000 jobs over the next five years.

 

Guilbeault, who has been a prominent advocate in the fight against the climate crisis for decades, recently joined Global News’ Laura Casella to talk about his to-do list for 2022. What is first?

“We’ve announced a number of new measures. Certainly when it comes to climate change, [the first course of action is] phasing out fossil fuels subsidies. We can’t hope to reduce pollution from the fossil fuel industry if we keep giving them money to produce more fossil fuels. We’ve committed to phasing out these emissions two years earlier than our G20 partners, by 2023 rather than 2025. Some of the work has already started.”

Guilbeault also pointed to a new cap on oil and gas sector, which accounts for a quarter of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. He said this is another important measure that is a top priority and that the federal government is committed to ensuring that these emissions don’t go up any further and decrease over time.

 


Remediation Technology News and Resource

(The following are selected items from the US EPA’s Tech Direct – http://clu-in.org/techdirect/)


 

Upcoming Live Internet Seminars

ITRC Vapor Intrusion Mitigation (VIM-1) – A Two Part Series – Jan 13 & 27, 2022, 1:00PM-3:00PM EST (18:00-20:00 GMT). When certain contaminants or hazardous substances are released into the soil or groundwater, they may volatilize into soil gas. Vapor intrusion (VI) occurs when these vapors migrate up into overlying buildings and contaminate indoor air. ITRC has previously released guidance documents focused on VI, including the “Vapor Intrusion Pathway: A Practical Guidance” (VI-1, 2007) and “Petroleum Vapor Intrusion: Fundamentals of Screening, Investigation, and Management” (PVI, 2014). However, ITRC has received multiple requests for additional details and training on mitigation strategies for addressing this exposure pathway. The ITRC Vapor Intrusion Mitigation Team (VIMT) created ten fact sheets, 16 technology information sheets, and 4 checklists with the goal of assisting regulators during review of vapor intrusion mitigation systems, and helping contractors understand the essential elements of planning, design, implementation, and operation, maintenance and monitoring (OM&M) of mitigation systems. The Vapor Intrusion Mitigation training is a series of eight (8) modules, presented over two sessions. For more information and to register, see https://www.itrcweb.org or https://clu-in.org/live.

Unlocking Brightfields Potential: State Programs to Encourage Renewable Energy Siting on Contaminated Lands – RE-Powering America’s Land Initiative – Jan 24, 2022, 1:00PM-2:30PM EST (18:00-19:30 GMT). EPA’s RE-Powering America’s Land Initiative (“RE-Powering”) is hosting a webinar to help you learn about state-based programs to increase renewable energy projects on landfills, brownfields, mines, and other contaminated lands. In the webinar, you will learn about common types of state programs, program impacts, steps to select and design successful programs, and program implementation tips. For more information and to register, please visit https://clu-in.org/live/

ITRC 1,4-Dioxane: Science, Characterization & Analysis, and Remediation – Jan 25, 2022, 1:00PM-3:15PM EST (18:00-20:15 GMT). 1,4-Dioxane has seen widespread use as a solvent stabilizer since the 1950s. The widespread use of solvents through the 1980s suggests its presence at thousands of solvent sites in the US; however, it is not always a standard compound in typical analytical suites for hazardous waste sites, so it previously was overlooked. The U.S. EPA has classified 1,4-dioxane as “likely to be carcinogenic to humans.” Some states have devised health standards or regulatory guidelines for drinking water and groundwater standards; these are often sub-part per billion values. These low standards present challenges for analysis, characterization, and remediation of 1,4-dioxane. The ITRC team created multiple tools and documents that provide information to assist all interested stakeholders in understanding this contaminate and for making informed, educated decisions. For more information and to register, please visit https://itrcweb.org/ or https://clu-in.org/live/

New Documents and Web Resources

Green Remediation Best Management Practices: Bioremediation (EPA 542-F-21-028). In line with the renewed Agency emphasis on sustainability and climate change resilience and mitigation, the Superfund Program is proceeding to update the very popular green remediation best management practice (BMP) fact sheets for the most common remedies in the Superfund program. The goal of these fact sheets is to share technical information on best practices that build sustainability into contaminated site cleanup operations across the portfolio of remediation approaches. The green remediation (GR) fact sheet on bioremediation has been one of the most popular “GR factsheets,” with over 11,000 downloads since it was first released. The updated fact sheet includes new BMPs gathered from projects across the country and describes how climate resilience is being built into our sites to ensure continued remedy protectiveness. The fact sheet also highlights synergies between green remediation and climate adaptation practices, where one action provides both greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation and climate resilience. Examples are BMPs involving use of renewable energy, green infrastructure or carbon sequestering vegetation that mitigate GHG emissions and add resilience to ongoing climate change. The fact sheet also highlights how advanced practices gleaned from Superfund’s optimization and technical support work, such as three-dimensional and high-resolution imaging techniques for site characterization, support more precise remedies with smaller environmental footprints. To view or download, please visit https://clu-in.org/greenremediation/docs/GR_factsheet_biorem_32410.pdf.

NAVFAC Fact Sheet on Environmental Molecular Diagnostics: Molecular Biology-Based Tools (September 2021). The NAVFAC Technology Transfer (T2) Program supports information sharing to identify the Navy’s Environmental Restoration Program (ERP) challenges and to promote the use of innovative and cost-effective solutions. This fact sheet was produced by NAVFAC to discuss Environmental molecular diagnostics (EMDs). EMDs are a group of advanced techniques used to analyze biological and chemical characteristics of environmental samples. This fact sheet focuses on biological tools for use in environmental restoration applications. EMDs based on biological techniques rely on the analyses of genetic material or compounds produced by microbes. The tools discussed include quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), metagenomic sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene, whole genome sequencing, and proteomics. Two Navy case studies provide specific examples of how data can be used to characterize and quantify the changes in the microbial communities over time. To view of download, please visit https://www.navfac.navy.mil/content/dam/navfac/Specialty%20Centers/Engineering%20and%20Expeditionary%20Warfare%20Center/Environmental/Restoration/er_pdfs/e/EMD%20Molecular%20Biology%20Based%20Tools%20Fact%20Sheet%2030SEP21%20FINAL%20Rev2.pdf.

Technology Innovation News Survey Corner. The Technology Innovation News Survey contains market/commercialization information; reports on demonstrations, feasibility studies and research; and other news relevant to the hazardous waste community interested in technology development. Recent issues, complete archives, and subscription information is available at https://clu-in.org/products/tins/. The following resources were included in recent issues:

      • Western Sector In-Situ Chemical Oxidation Project: Additional Injection Pilot Testing Supplemental Results
      • Biotransformation and Potential Mineralization of PFOS, PFHXS, and PFOA by Acidimicrobiaceae Sp. A6 Under Iron Reducing Conditions
      • Key Fate and Transport Processes Impacting the Mass Discharge, Attenuation, and Treatment of PFAS and Comingled Chlorinated Solvents or Aromatic Hydrocarbons
      • Performance of Water Treatment Systems for PFAS Removal
      • EPA Advances Science to Protect the Public from PFOA and PFOS in Drinking Water
      • Development of a Quantitative Framework for Evaluating Natural Attenuation of 1,1,1-TCA, 1,1-DCA, 1,1- DCE, and 1,4-Dioxane in Groundwater
      • New Passive Sampling Device for PFAS
      • Ultrahigh-Resolution Fourier-Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry for Fingerprinting, Source Tracking, and Allocation of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASS)
      • Demonstrating a Biogeophysics Strategy for Minimally Invasive Post Remediation Performance Assessment

 

ITRC 2022 Team Registration Now Open. The ITRC 2022 Project Teams are officially open for registration! Four all-new project teams will join continuing ITRC teams currently open for registration. Interested parties may register for the new teams or look to join the ongoing teams. ITRC Teams for 2022 Include: Managed Aquifer Recharge, Ethylene Oxide Emissions, Sediment Cap Update, Chemicals of Emerging Concern, PFAS, Environmental Data Management Best Practices, Pump & Treat Optimization, and Quickening Environmental Solutions & Training (QUEST). For more information, please visit https://itrcweb.org/teams/active.

EUGRIS Corner. New Documents on EUGRIS, the platform for European contaminated soil and water information. More than eight resources, events, projects and news items were added to EUGRIS in December 2021. These can be viewed at http://www.eugris.info/whatsnew.asp . Then select the appropriate month and year for the updates in which you are interested.

 

 Upcoming Events


 
 

RemTech East

Call for Abstracts

June 1-3, 2022
Fallsview Casino and Resort
Niagara Falls, ON

 

ESAA invites you to submit technical abstracts focusing on technologies for the remediation of contaminated soil. Abstracts are encouraged in, but not limited to, the following areas:

  • In-Situ and Ex-Situ Treatment
  • Physical / Biological / Chemical Treatment
  • Soil Washing and Scrubbing
  • Thermal Desorption
  • Incineration
  • Stabilization / Solidification
  • Immobilization
  • Aeration
  • Soil Venting
  • Membranes
  • Encapsulation
  • Vitrification
  • Natural Attenuation
  • Oil Sands Remediation / Reclamation
  • Oil Spills Management
  • New Technology and Research
  • Remote and Difficult Locations
  • Reclamation
  • Emerging Contaminants
  • Superfund Projects
  • Landfill Closure
  • Phyto-remediation
  • Brownfields
  • All other related topics will be considered

The preliminary selection of presentations will be based on submitted abstracts and reviewed by a panel of peers.

Abstracts should be no longer that 500 words (not including bio), should include a presenter biography and be submitted as a Word Document by no later than January 31st, 2022.

Before submitting your abstract, ensure that client approval has been obtained.

Send abstract submissions to Joe Chowaniec via email to: [email protected]

Notification of acceptance will be given by February 28th, 2022..

Presentations are 25 minutes in length plus 5 minutes for questions.  Full presentations must be submitted no later than one week prior to RemTech East.

EnviroTech 2022
April 20-22, 2022
Hyatt Regency Calga
ry

Call for Sponsors, Exhibitors and Abstracts

ESAA is pleased to announce that EnviroTech will return as an in-person in event in 2022.  EnviroTech 2022 will take place at the Hyatt Regency, Calgary from April 20th, 2022.

Call for Sponsors

Call for Exhibitors

Call for Abstracts

Early Bird Registration

  • Early Bird Registration is now open.  Register before February 14th, 2022 and save 20%.  Register Now

We look forward welcoming you back to EnviroTech and thank you for your continued support of ESAA and our events.   All the best to you and yours over the holiday season.

 
 

Learning and Celebration at ECO Canada’s 5th Annual ECO Impact Event

ECO Canada’s highly anticipated and unique learning series and awards gala, ECO Impact, is back and this year ECO Canada are excited to return to learning, networking, and celebrating in person, in Calgary!

The theme for the upcoming ECO Impact event is Driving Sustainability to Invest in a Greener, More Resilient and Inclusive Future. There will be presentations from experts across industries on ESG and how Canada’s environmental workforce is involved.

Sessions include ‘The Evolution of ESG’, ‘Making It Meaningful: Indigenous Workplace Inclusion’ and ‘Climate Tech: Putting Canada on the Map’.

As always, there’ll be great networking opportunities with environmental professionals from across the country and plenty of celebrations as we find out who Canada’s latest leading environmental professionals are.

Date: 2 & 3rd February, 2022
Location: Hyatt Regency, Calgary, AB

Register

 


ESAA Job Board

Check out the new improved ESAA Job Board.  Members can post ads for free.


 
Current Listings:
  • Project Technologist –Pinchin Ltd.
  • Intermediate Accountant –Nichols Environmental (Canada) Ltd.
  • Environmental Engineers/Scientists/Technologists –Nichols Environmental (Canada) Ltd.
  • Intermediate Environmental Consultant – North Shore Environmental Consultants Inc.
  • Intermediate Report Reviewer – North Shore Environmental Consultants Inc.
  • Project Administration/Support – Summit, An Earth Services Company
  • Sustainability Manager – Summit, An Earth Services Company
  • Environmental Scientist/Engineer/Technologist  – Advisian (Worley Group)
  • Principal Risk Assessor – Advisian (Worley Group)
  • Spill Response Supervisors and Reclamation Supervisors – SWAT Consulting Inc
  • Labourer – Summit, An Earth Services Company

 

 

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email
Print

Subscribe

Subscriptions are free and open to members and non-members.

* indicates required
ESAA Newsletters
Email Format

Recent News