ESAA Industry Awards – Environmental Project of the Year
Submission Deadline – August 25th, 2023
The ESAA Industry Awards is an annual awards program that recognizes member excellence in the areas of environmental innovation. The program is open to all ESAA member organizations with the winners announced and awarded each year at the RemTech Symposium held in October.
2023 Category – Environmental Project of the Year
The Environmental Project of the Year Award recognizes a company’s innovation and execution of an ongoing or completed environmental project. The award will recognize a company’s project in the areas of Remediation, Reclamation, Decommissioning, Monitoring, Water, Air, Wildlife, Brownfields, etc. No matter the size and scope the project, the key metrics for judging include innovation, effectiveness, and positive environmental outcomes.
You can find all this information and how to apply online at: https://esaa.org/membership/industry-awards/
THE DEADLINE TO APPLY IS AUGUST 25, 2023
Any questions can be directed to [email protected].
We look forward to your submissions.
ESAA Photo Contest – Submission Deadline – August 18th
The ESAA photo contest has returned. Do you work for an ESAA Member company? If so, they you are eligible to enter the 2023 ESAA Photo Contest.
The ESAA photo contest has returned. The theme for 2023 is ‘Main Street of Your Town’. Show us the heart and soul of your City, Town or Village when it wakes up or goes to sleep. Where did it all begin. Full details below. Submission deadline – August 18th, 2023.
Prizes:
- 1st Place – $200 Local Restaurant Gift Certificate – Winners choice
- 2nd Place – $100 MEC Gift Certificate
- 3rd Place – $50 Starbucks
- The top 12 photos will be included in the second annual ESAA calendar.
Full contest details, rules, submission upload link and more can be found at: https://esaa.org/membership/esaa-photo-contest/
Get out and get snapping!
Canada – Draft Clean Electricity Regulations
A clean electricity grid will be the foundation for achieving economy-wide, net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
As outlined in Powering Forward Canada: Building a Clean, Affordable and Reliable Electricity System for Every Region of Canada (published August 8, 2023), the Government of Canada is taking a comprehensive and collaborative approach to building a net-zero grid in a way that ensures continued access to affordable, reliable power by all Canadians.
Canadians are already switching from fossil fuels to electricity in order to power transportation, home heating, and industry. A growing population and economy, as well as the increased electrification of our economy, are expected to significantly increase the demand for electricity in the coming decades. We need to make sure that this expansion occurs in a clean, affordable, and reliable way.
Even absent these proposed regulations, all provinces and territories and their partners will have to make large investments in their electricity systems over the coming decades to undertake routine replacements of aging facilities and support demand growth based on current trends. The Government of Canada estimates that these investments will cost about $400 billion from now to 2050. The draft Clean Electricity Regulations will ensure investments in the grid will be directed toward clean sources.
Greenhouse gas pollution reductions
The draft regulations are expected to deliver nearly 342 megatonnes of cumulative greenhouse gas emissions reductions between 2024 and 2050 from the electricity generation sector. They would shift the mix of Canada’s electricity system toward clean sources more quickly, and to a greater extent, than would be expected without the regulations. This will, in turn, lead to more investments in electricity storage and transmission capacity.
Reducing greenhouse gases also pays significant dividends for Canadians, who are already paying heavily for the costs of climate impacts from storms, wildfires, and extreme heat. Independent analysis shows climate damages increase the cost of living by $700 per household in Canada. Reducing GHGs will help fight against the increasingly frequency of severe weather events, and help Canadians avoid the worst impacts—and costs—of climate change.
Cleaner air in our communities
In addition to reducing greenhouse gases, the draft regulations will deliver health benefits to Canadians by reducing the air pollutants that result from the burning of natural gas, like nitrogen and sulfur oxides, particulate matter, and mercury. Air pollution is a major contributor to disease and premature death both in Canada and globally. Health Canada estimated that in 2015, air pollution from electricity-generating units contributed to about 150 premature deaths per year in Canada, as well as many non-fatal negative health outcomes, with a total cost of $1.2 billion per year (2015 constant dollars).
Renewable energy is cost competitive with fossil fuels
As provinces and territories decide on what electrical infrastructure to build to meet the growing demand in electricity, clean energy technologies are often already cost competitive with fossil fuel alternatives.
Wind and solar can now produce electricity at lower costs than natural gas-fired power in many cases, with even more cost reductions on the horizon.
Globally, there is a rapid transformation of energy systems toward clean and renewable sources. The International Renewable Energy Agency reported that in 2021 more renewable capacity was added to grids around the world than ever before—renewables are growing at an unprecedented rate. The improving cost competitiveness of renewable technologies, as well as expanding policy support and energy security concerns, are driving this historic growth.
Creating more good-paying jobs
Building and operating a net-zero electricity grid is expected to increase employment across Canada. Recent estimates suggest that in a net-zero economy by 2050 scenario, jobs in the clean energy sector will grow by 2.2 million in the decades ahead (at seven percent per year). Growth will be especially high in the clean energy supply sector, with jobs more than doubling to reach almost half a million by 2050.
The draft regulations
The draft regulations set a stringent pollution emissions standard without prescribing specific technologies. This technology-neutral approach enables provincial, territorial, and municipal decision-makers to determine the most suitable path for transitioning to a clean grid in their circumstances.
The draft regulations set a clear signal for transitioning toward a clean grid, while including flexibilities to avoid stranding large capital assets, and to enable electricity systems to continue to provide reliable, affordable power. One such flexibility allows for an ongoing, though limited, role for some fossil-fuel generation past 2035, to ensure it is used where it has the greatest value for maintaining affordability and reliability. The proposed regulations also exempt remote communities in recognition of the current lack of commercially available non- and low-emitting generation technology that could fully replace diesel generation in those communities.
Maintaining affordability for homeowners and businesses
The modelling for the draft Clean Electricity Regulations projects close to $29 billion in net benefits between 2024 and 2050 from reduced greenhouse gas and air pollution emissions and operational savings from reduced fossil fuel use.
Electricity is significantly cheaper than fossil fuels, and as families and businesses make the switch they will save on energy costs. Independent analysis has shown that, despite the investments needed to clean the grid, household expenditures on total energy costs (to heat and cool homes, power vehicles, prepare food, etc.) will decrease by 12 per cent by 2050. Today, an average homeowner who switches from oil to heat pumps would save between $1,500 and $4,700 per year on home energy bills.
The modelling also projects relatively small impacts on electricity rates. These proposed regulations would result in small incremental impacts on electricity rates, increasing national average residential electricity rates (undiscounted 2022 constant dollars) by 0.4 percent by 2035, 1.9 percent by 2040, and 0.9 percent by 2050. This is equivalent to an increase of less than one cent per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in each case, in comparison to the current average residential electricity rate of 17 cents per kWh. These estimates do not fully take into account the support announced in Budget 2023 to help provinces, territories, and utilities transition to clean electricity. If provinces and territories were to choose to take advantage of these measures, it will reduce the costs of complying with the regulations, further reducing impacts on ratepayers.
Supporting provinces and territories
While the CER is a central component of the federal government’s approach to achieving clean electricity, it is not the only policy supporting a net-zero electricity grid by 2035.
Following the historic investments made in Budget 2023, the Government of Canada is supporting the transition to a reliable and affordable net-zero grid across all regions. For example, through:
- Nearly $3.0 billion Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program.
- $10 billion in low-cost financing from the Canada Infrastructure Bank for clean electricity projects.
- A 15 percent refundable Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit – estimated cost of $25.7 billion over the lifetime of the incentive – for eligible investments by taxable and non-taxable entities in certain technologies for the generation and storage of clean electricity and its transmission between provinces and territories.
- A 30 per cent refundable Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit for eligible investments by businesses in certain electricity generation and storage equipment, low-carbon heating, and industrial zero-emission vehicles and related charging or refuelling infrastructure.
- A 30 per cent refundable Clean Technology Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit for eligible investments in machinery and equipment used to manufacture or process clean technologies, and extract, process, and recycle key critical minerals.
- $520 million for the Clean Energy for Indigenous, Rural and Remote Communities programs for renewable energy and capacity-building projects and related energy efficiency measures across Canada. This includes the complementary Indigenous Off-Diesel Initiative provides clean energy training and funding for Indigenous-led climate solutions in remote Indigenous communities.
The Government of Canada also has many programs to support homeowners in their switch away from fossil fuels toward electricity. These include the Canada Greener Homes Grants and Loan program, which helps homeowners make the switch from more expensive home heating oil and natural gas to energy-saving heat pumps and solar panels. In addition, the Government of Canada offers incentives of up to $5,000 for light-duty zero-emission vehicles, and $200,000 for medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles.
Alongside the Clean Electricity Regulations, these investments will help drive significant economic opportunities in the province and territory through the construction of new power sources and retrofitting of existing plants.
Already significant progress toward a cleaner grid
Canada has already made significant progress transforming its electricity sector. Since the 1980s, Canada’s total electricity capacity has nearly doubled, while greenhouse gas emissions have been cut in half.
Several electric utilities and power producers in Canada have adopted net-zero emission targets and significant procurements of renewable generation are underway in many provinces. Stationary energy storage is being deployed across Canada, and we are a global leader in the development of small modular reactors.
Canada has worked with Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador to expand the mandates of the offshore boards to include the regulation of offshore renewable energy, while the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada has recently undertaken a regional assessment to facilitate new offshore wind projects. The Government of Canada is also working with Atlantic provinces to advance the Atlantic Loop—a series of interprovincial transmission lines that will provide clean, affordable, and reliable electricity in the region.
Preservation society calls on Alberta government to rethink approval of gravel pit near Big Hill Springs Provincial Park
(Source: CTV News) Alberta’s UCP government has given its approval for a gravel company to start mining up against Big Hill Springs Provincial Park, but members of the local preservation society are pointing to major environmental concerns.
Mountain Ash Ltd. received approval from the province on July 20, which would grant the company permission to mine its 130-hectare Summit Project open pit operation located northeast of Cochrane at the corner of Highway 567 and Range Road 40.
Approvals were also granted from Rocky View Council to develop the 30 to 40 year gravel operation.
The Bighill Creek Preservation Society (BCPS) has since filed an appeal of the province’s decision to the Alberta Environmental Appeals Board under the Water Act on July 26.
BCPS vice-president Vivian Pharis says she fully understands the Calgary region needs gravel to support infrastructure. However, she notes that this mine would pose a material risk to the region’s groundwater resources, potentially jeopardizing the spring, provincial park and related wetlands, along with riparian habitats.
“If you look around this beautiful area, eight quarter sections of land could be filled with gravel pits going down, up to 25 metres deep, leaving only a single metre of protection in place to protect the whole aquifer of this main spring,” Pharis said.
“This spring has been ranked federally as the fourth most important thermal spring in Canada, yet it’s hardly recognized and it’s certainly not well recognized by our province or they would have protected it much better than they’ve done now.”
Pharis adds that the Big Hill Creek is a ‘really pristine tributary’ into the Bow River which is Calgary’s water supply.
“So Calgary is concerned about upstream effects on their water supply, the Bow and the Elbow rivers, and so this is one of the contributions to some of the cleanest water in the world is what we have right here in Calgary,” she said.
“All of this stands to be in jeopardy if we don’t protect this.”
The BCPS appeal to Alberta Environment and Protected Areas mentions that “the perceived failure of the government to protect a provincial park is likely to once again create local outrage.”
It adds that the Big Hill Springs Provincial Park receives 250,000 visitors annually and was recently renovated at a cost of $1.2 million due to heavy use.
“If there is no assessment of the cumulative risks of this and future mines on the park, this investment will have been entirely wasted,” reads the statement of appeal.
“The social consequences of destroying a provincial park visited each year by so many Albertans could be massive.”
Further, BCPS believes that this gravel mine if approved, would set the precedent for approvals for all 1,300 acres of lands that are now held by gravel interests which abut the MALP project, the Spring and Park.
Vivian Pharis shows a map of where the gravel mine will operate. She says it will ruin one of Canada’s most important thermal springs.
APPROVED MINE LOCATED ‘TOO CLOSE’ TO SPRING: BCPS
The park lies at the centre of the watershed and its ecology is sustained by the spring from an aquifer – an underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock underneath the mine site – that extends 78 kilometres to the north and west.
The main concerns focus on the fact that the Summit Project mine itself would be located about 800 metres from the main spring.
At this location almost the entire flow issues from the Paskapoo bedrock in an area smaller than the size of an average bungalow.
BCPS says this mine and other prospective mines would remove the vegetated organic soil, subsoil, and up to 25 metres of gravel. It would leave just one metre of gravel above the fluctuating level of groundwater and a very short lateral distance to filter recharging surface water that re-emerges at the spring.
The aquifer’s water provides roughly half the flow into Bighill Creek where a broad range of native and some introduced fish are situated. BCPS is currently assessing the creek to re-introduce endangered Bull Trout and Westslope Cutthroat Trout, but worries this mine approval will create a danger to habitat.
In a previous statement of concern with the Alberta Environment and Protected Areas from last year, the BCPS retained expert Dr. Jon Fennell.
The professional geologist, hydrologist, and geochemist who specializes in water security and climate resiliency released a report stating that when buried sediments are excavated and exposed to the atmosphere, the local geochemical conditions change.
“And so taking away that, that that buffer of gravel exposes the bedrock as well to additional contaminants that might, you know, get either released during operations or released as part of the operation,” said Fennell.
“That really increases the risk of any potential contaminants getting down into the remaining gravel and then underlying bedrock.”
Both Fennell and Alberta Parks recommended instead that gravel excavations not be allowed 1.6 km of the park boundary and that a four-metre separation between excavation and ground water be required.
MOUNTAIN ASH LTD. CONFIDENT IN EXPERT REVIEW
The owner of the recently approved gravel pit, which will be operated by Mountain Ash Ltd. is Bruce Waterman, a long-time Calgary oil and gas executive embarking on his first gravel venture.
In a statement to CTV News, he says his team has had hydrological and other experts review the Summit Project to ensure it would have no measurable impact on groundwater resources.
“Our project will not jeopardize the springs, creek or provincial park and related riparian habitats,” Waterman said.
“Our project has gone through an extensive review process over the last seven years by both Rocky View County and the Alberta provincial government Department of Environment and Protected Areas, which have both approved our project.
“We are therefore confident that the concerns raised during the review process have been adequately addressed and that we have an environmentally responsible project.”
In its most recent appeal document, BCPS said that the concerns it expressed alongside Alberta Parks were ignored despite assurances from the ministry of Environment and Protected Areas that complaints would be addressed.
“The information we got from EPA was that this project can go ahead, while we await the results of the appeal,” Pharis said.
“I don’t know if Mountain Ash is at all concerned about their public image, but you know, in the eyes of the public, I think that that probably would be a wrong move for them to make.”
ENVIRONMENT AND PROTECTED AREAS STANDS BY REVIEW PROCESS
BCPS claims that up to five gravel operating mines up against the Big Hill Springs Provincial Park would create untenable noise, dust, and industrial impacts.
“The decision fails to address remediation and reclamation of the subject lands and provides no apparent assurance that the project applicant will be held financially responsible to mitigate, remediate and reclaim any impacts on the spring, creek, or park,” BCPS’s appeal reads.
Rocky View County approved the application to mine gravel on March 2, 2021, despite opposition, but stakeholders on the project have been awaiting word from the province on whether the Water Act provisions were adequately addressed.
According to the province’s recent ruling, BCPS arguments have now been largely ignored.
A statement from Alberta Environment and Protected Areas communication director Tom McMillan says the province did all due diligence in conducting its most recent review.
“As with all regulatory application reviews, Alberta Environment and Protected Areas conducted a detailed review that focused on ensuring activities are conducted in an environmentally sustainable manner and that Alberta’s environmental laws and policies are followed.
“As part of assessing this project, Alberta Environment and Protected Areas’ hydrologists and other technical experts reviewed the application. As part of the approval, Mountain Ash will be required to develop and implement a comprehensive surface and groundwater water monitoring and management plan. Those plans include early warning triggers should changes occur in surface/groundwater that may affect the environment. The project can only move ahead with monitoring programs in place and gravel can only be extracted as long as there are no significant changes to surface or groundwater conditions.
“The regulatory review process closely considered all of the Statement of Concerns that were received, in accordance with EPA legislation. This included those raised by Bighill Creek Preservation Society. As previously noted, the project approval was conditional, and includes mandatory terms and conditions specifically designed to appropriately manage any impacts to surface water, groundwater and other environmental components.”
Environmental groups concerned about logging operation in Alberta’s Kananaskis Country
(Source: CBC News) Starting this fall, a timber harvest will begin in an area of Kananaskis Country in southwest Alberta and it is sparking worries among some environmentalists.
The 1,100 hectare plot of forest borders the Highwood River and is close to the B.C. border. It has been identified as a harvest area through the province’s Forest Management Plan, which was last updated in 2021. The harvest will be carried out by Spray Lake Sawmills over the course of two years.
Groups concerned about the harvest have begun a campaign calling on people to write to the provincial government to re-think the decision because of how it may impact wildlife and reduce recreation opportunities for people.
“Our forestry system is really broken,” said Katie Morrison, executive director of the southern Alberta chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society. “We really need to look at the forestry system in general and how do we protect these places that are most important for the environment and for people.”
Morrison doesn’t think enough consultation was carried out ahead of time and says clear cutting the area will affect habitats for animals in the forest and lead to negative impacts for the Highwood River.
“As you harvest big areas out of watersheds, it can increase risk of floods and droughts, it can really change how that water system works, it can have more sediment and dirt going into a river.”
Morrison added the harvest also has a bitter taste because of how people who do use the region for recreation are charged an annual $90 fee to do so.
“It’s a little ironic that we are paying a fee as hikers and anglers and visitors to Kananaskis, and then we are also seeing what is clearly not a conservation mechanism in that region. So it’s quite a contrast of how we use, and the value of Kananaskis and how industrial use is happening in Kananaskis.”
Ed Kulcsar is the VP of Woodlands for Spray Lake Sawmills.
He said there has been lots of work done beforehand to determine this was an appropriate spot for a harvest, and previous rounds of public consultation did not identify much negative feedback.
A small amount of the harvest will take place this year, beginning with building logging roads, and then the majority of trees will be cut down next year. Kulcsar said remediation work is also tied into the plan.
“Once the harvest is completed, as standard practice we reclaim 100 per cent of our roads. And as well within two years of our harvest activity we must complete all our reforestation activities so 100 per cent of the area will be reforested.”
Kulcsar said other areas of the Highwood region have been forested in the past, and there is evidence the same area being logged this time was cut down approximately a hundred years ago.
With the majority of forests across Alberta and specifically in the Kananaskis area protected from logging operations, Kulcsar does not believe this will have a significant impact on recreation either.
“If somebody does want to recreate without seeing industrial activity, there’s certainly a lot of forest out there to provide that opportunity.”
The province’s Forest Management Plan maps out timber harvesting over a 200-year period, and the Highwood area was selected for harvest over factors such as the impact on wildlife and water, as well as the age of the forest itself.
New U.S. reports question financial feasibility of municipal PFAS removal at WWTPs
(Source: https://esemag.com/) A new survey suggests that operational costs for wastewater utilities could increase by more than 60% — some three times higher than federal projections — as a direct result of new PFAS regulations in the U.S.
The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), which led the survey, says that U.S. wastewater utilities and their customers will be responsible for tens of billions of dollars in additional costs to address the treatment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed that perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) should have near-zero legally enforceable Maximum Contamination Levels (MCL) of 4 parts per trillion (ppt) each, or nanograms per litre, the lowest concentration most laboratories can reliably detect.
Various technologies can be employed for PFAS remediation, and the complexity and scale of the selected treatment will significantly influence the overall costs. Treatments range from advanced oxidation processes that involve the use of chemical reactions to break down and destroy PFAS compounds, to electrochemical methods, or membrane-based separation processes such as reverse osmosis and nanofiltration.
“Clean water utilities neither created nor profited from PFAS chemicals,” announced Nathan Gardner-Andrews, NACWA chief advocacy and policy officer, in a statement. “But under the current EPA regulatory approach, these utilities and their ratepayers will be stuck with the clean-up costs instead of the private companies that have made billions off these chemicals.”
The NACWA survey was released in conjunction with a new report called “Correcting PFAS Myths”, organized by The Water Coalition Against PFAS. The coalition is comprised of five of the nation’s leading water sector associations, including the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), the American Water Works Association (AWWA), the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), the National Rural Water Association (NRWA) and the Water Environment Federation (WEF).
The report tackles the developing and complex regulatory landscape around PFAS treatment, as well as some of the legal liability for PFAS cleanups.
The report also references the new report by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), which estimates that technologies and expenses needed to remove PFAS from certain wastewater streams across Minnesota would cost between $14 – $28 billion over 20 years.
Another point raised by the MPCA report is its projection that small wastewater treatment facilities could face per-pound costs over six times greater than large facilities due to economies of scale.
Without an alternative source of funding, PFAS removal and destruction from municipal wastewater will be unaffordable for the foreseeable future, suggests the MPCA report.
“The exorbitant costs associated with removing PFAS from community wastewater systems underscores the need to address PFAS pollution long before it gets into the waste stream,” said MPCA Commissioner Katrina Kessler in the report. “At no fault of their own, wastewater treatment facilities receive PFAS from a variety of sources and they cannot carry the burden of cleaning up the pollution. We must all focus on preventing PFAS from entering the environment in the first place.”
One of the other reports that has garnered attention on municipal PFAS cleanup costs was commissioned by the AWWA and prepared by Black & Veatch. It projects that drinking water utilities will need to invest more than $50 billion to install and operate treatment technologies over the next 20 years.
To meet the EPA’s newly proposed standards, the AWWA said that more than an estimated 5,000 water systems will have to develop new water sources or install and operate advanced treatment, while another 2,500 water systems in states with existing standards will need to adjust existing PFAS treatment systems.
New ESAA Members
ESAA welcomes the following new members. If you are not a member of ESAA you can join now via: https://esaa.org/join-esaa/
Stage 3 Separation
7916 77 Ave
Leduc, AB T9E 0B6
Phone: (403) 837-239
https://s3s.com/
Casey McMechan, National Account Manager
[email protected]
Providing Leading Solids Control for Your Industry Stage 3 is a leading provider of innovative, data-driven solutions specifically designed for solids control management across multiple industries. We specialize in high-quality solids control equipment designed to effectively manage waste by products. Our program reduces costs for the customer and providing limited to no discharge solutions. But we don’t stop there. Additionally, Stage 3 uses a team of field technicians, field supervisors, engineers and scientists to help refine and continuously optimize your operation through real-time data analysis. Stage 3 has made a name for itself through continuous technological advancement and dedication to servicing our clients’ solids control needs through our people, equipment, and processes. We offer a complete solution through a variety of recovery operations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Water, Air & Soil Associates Corp. (WASA)
7369 Singer Way NW
Edmonton, AB T6R 3S1
Phone: (780) 200-1407
http://www.wasacorp.com
Obsidian Energy Ltd.
207 9 Ave
Calgary, AB T2P 1K3
Phone: (403) 669-1768
https://www.obsidianenergy.com/
Steve Sterling, Manager: Asset Retirement, Environment and Regulatory
steve.sterling@obsidianenergy.
Obsidian Energy is an intermediate-sized oil and gas producer.
Upcoming Industry Events
Upcoming ESAA Events for the Remainder of 2023
ESAA Calgary Mixer – SOLD OUT
September 12th, 2023
Calgary
ESAA Lethbridge Mixer – 15 SPOTS REMAINING
September 13th, 2023
3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Blanco Cantina, 319 – 6th Street, Lethbridge
RSVP Now
ESAA Grande Prairie Mixer – 2 Spot Remaining
September 27th, 2023
3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Latitude 55, 10030 102 Avenue, Grande Prairie
RSVP Now
ESAA Lloydminster Mixer – 6 SPOTS REMAINING
October 3rd, 2023
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Three Trees Tap + Kitchen, 8120 – 44 Street, Lloydminster
ESAA RemTech 2023 – Program Now Available
October 11th to October 13, 2023
Fairmont Banff Springs
Hotel and Conference Centre
404 Spray Avenue, Banff
ESAA PFASA Symposium – Program Coming Soon…
December 6th, 2023
8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Fairmont Palliser Calgary, 133 – 9th Avenue SW, Calgary
ONEIA PFAS Symposium – Click the Image to learn more or register
Grassland Restoration Forum Hands-on Courses and Events for 2023
The Grassland Restoration Forum is proud to be hosting the following in-person events in September and November. You can find course details and register online at https://grasslandrestorationforum.ca/news-events/. For more information, contact [email protected] or Donna Watt at [email protected].
September Events:
How to Use Range Plant Community Guides and Recovery Strategies Manuals for Project and Reclamation Planning in Grasslands
Cassils Hall, near Brooks, Alberta – September 13th, 2023
This one day, classroom-based course teaches participants how to use the Range Plant Community Guides and introduces the second edition of the Recovery Strategies for Development in Native Grassland Manuals planning process. These tools will provide valuable context to interpret results of data required for Conservation Assessments – Strategic Siting and Pre-disturbance Site Assessments for Industrial Activities on Native Grassland to support restoration planning for new or existing disturbances in native grassland.
Hands on! Grassland Assessment Training
Antelope Creek Ranch, near Brooks, Alberta – September 14th, 2023
Designed for students, agrologists, ecologists, land stewards, regulators, planners and reclamation practitioners and anyone interested in learning more about native grassland ecosystems. This one day, field-based course offers training on common plant identification, use of soils and landscape mapping (AGRASID and GVI) in relation to Alberta’s Range Plant Community Guides and Range Health Assessment Manuals. Designed to classify and assess grassland plant communities, these tools are critical for pre‐site assessments, reclamation design and restoration of native grassland.
November Events:
Our Perennial Gathering! GRF Fall Information Session
Claresholm, Alberta – November 16th, 2023
The one day Fall Information Session gathers a variety of industry and grassland stakeholders to exchange current information on grassland restoration and conservation through a variety of presentations and mini updates. The theme this year is SEEDS. A meeting of the Southern Alberta Native Seed Collaborative (SANSC) is planned for the following day.
Coming Soon:
Dry Mixedgrass & Mixedgrass Recovery Strategies 2nd Approximations
Updates will be sent out as soon as they are available in digital and printed format!
ESAA Job Board
Check out the new improved ESAA Job Board. Members can post ads for free.
Current Listings:
- Intermediate/Senior Environmental Specialist – Summit
- Environmental Specialist – Summit
- Senior Environmental Professional Planning (Various Locations) – H3M Environmental
- Lead, Reclamation and Remediation Services – RemedX Remediation
- Environmental Engineers/Scientists/Technologists Regina, Saskatchewan – Nichols Environmental (Canada) Ltd.
- Labourer (Various) – Summit
- Geoscientist – Associated Environmental Consultants
- Manager of Engineering & Environment – City of Lethbridge
- Senior Hydrogeologist – Summit
- Environmental Specialist – City of Medicine Hat