Alberta: Consultant chosen for Eyremore Dam study
Alberta’s government has chosen Hatch Ltd. to study the feasibility of a new water reservoir in southeastern Alberta.
Reservoirs play a vital role in irrigation, drought management, water security and flood protection.
To help ensure all Albertans have a safe, reliable water supply, Hatch Ltd. will prepare a report on the feasibility of building the Eyremore Dam on the Bow River.
“We are taking a whole-government approach to managing and maintaining provincial water management infrastructure systems to make sure Albertans have access to the water they need when they need it. We are committed to examining whether the Eyremore Dam can be built and operated for a cost that provides true value to Albertans.”
Budget 2023 earmarked $5 million to assess the feasibility of construction of the Eyremore Dam and Reservoir on the Bow River. The project would be potentially located about 43 km downstream of the Bassano Dam, west of Brooks and Lake Newell. Hatch will begin the study immediately. The report is due in spring 2025.
“It is exciting to see this study begin. Right now, we’re limited in our collective ability to manage water effectively and this study will examine how the proposed reservoir can correct that. A new multi-purpose reservoir at this location would revolutionize water management in the South Saskatchewan River Basin.”
Hatch Ltd. is a Canadian multi-disciplinary professional services firm that delivers a comprehensive array of technical and strategic services, including engineering, consulting, information technology, process development, and project and construction management to the energy, mining and metal, and infrastructure sectors.
AER: 2024/25 Orphan Fund Levy – LLR and OWL Programs
In accordance with Part 11 of the Oil and Gas Conservation Act, the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) is prescribing an orphan fund levy in the amount of $135 million.
The Government of Alberta has approved this levy of $135 million to fund the Orphan Well Association’s (OWA’s) operating budget for fiscal year 2024/25. The AER will allocate the orphan fund levy among licensees and approval holders included within the Licensee Liability Rating (LLR) and Oilfield Waste Liability (OWL) programs based on the April 2024 liability management rating assessment. Information on these programs is contained in Directive 006: Licensee Liability Rating (LLR) Program and Licence Transfer Process, Directive 011: Licensee Liability Rating (LLR) Program – Updated Industry Parameters and Liability Costs, and Directive 075: Oilfield Waste Liability (OWL) Program.
The calculation for the levy is outlined in Part 16.5 of the Oil and Gas Conservation Rules. Neither the new holistic assessment nor the licensee capability assessment (LCA), outlined in Directive 088 and Manual 023 as part of the new liability management framework, has any impact on the levy calculation at this time.
Levy Formula
Each licensee or approval holder included within the LLR and OWL programs will be invoiced for its proportionate share of the orphan fund levy in accordance with the following formula:
Levy = A/B x 135 000 000
where
- A is the licensee’s or approval holder’s deemed liabilities on April 6, 2024, for all of its facilities, wells, and unreclaimed sites included in the LLR and OWL programs, as calculated in accordance with Directive 006, Directive 011, and Directive 075; and
- B is the sum of the industry’s deemed liabilities on April 6, 2024, for all facilities, wells, and unreclaimed sites included in the LLR and OWL programs, as calculated in accordance with Directive 006, Directive 011, and Directive 075.
A licensee or approval holder may review its deemed liabilities in the LLR and OWL programs at any time through the Digital Data Submission (DDS) system on the AER website at www.aer.ca. The numbers reported in the OneStop Liability Assessment report were not used to calculate the levy.
Notification and Payment
An orphan fund levy invoice will be sent to the attention of each licensee’s or approval holder’s chief financial officer by email to the address the AER has on file.
In the event the AER does not have an email address on file, or an emailed invoice has been returned as “undeliverable,” the AER will send a hard copy of the invoice to the corporate mailing address provided under Directive 067: Eligibility Requirements for Acquiring and Holding Energy Licences and Approvals.
Licensees and approval holders are reminded that it is their responsibility to ensure that Directive 067 records are kept up to date. To update corporate email or mailing addresses, contact [email protected].
Orphan fund levy invoices will be emailed by April 10, 2024. It is the licensee’s or approval holder’s responsibility to ensure that the invoice is directed to the appropriate person. If the licensee or approval holder does not receive their orphan fund levy invoice on April 10, 2024, they must contact [email protected] to request a copy.
All orphan fund levy invoices must be paid in full by the licensee or approval holder and received by the AER by May 10, 2024. Payment must be made payable to the “Alberta Energy Regulator” in Canadian currency using an acceptable financial instrument, such as a cheque, money order, bank draft, or EFT. We cannot accept cash at this time.
Failure to pay the full invoiced amount by May 10, 2024, will result in a penalty of 20 per cent of the original invoiced amount being assessed to the licensee or approval holder pursuant to section 74(2) of the Oil and Gas Conservation Act. Additional compliance measures may also be applied in accordance with the AER’s compliance assurance program, such as the issuance of a corporate-wide closure order.
Furthermore, the information regarding nonpayment of debt may be used in a licensee capability assessment, which involves determining a company’s ability to meet its financial obligations throughout the life cycle of its energy projects and is used to determine risk when evaluating licensee eligibility or certain application outcomes. Licensees that are noncompliant with their orphan fund levy will be identified in the annual Liability Management Performance Report. For more information about the licensee capability assessment, see www.aer.ca > Providing Information > By Topic > Liability Management.
Appeal
Section 76 of the Oil and Gas Conservation Act sets out the grounds for an appeal. The written appeal may be either emailed to the attention of Finance at [email protected] or mailed to the following address:
Attention: Finance
Alberta Energy Regulator
Suite 1000, 250 – 5th Street
Calgary, Alberta T2P 0R4
Even if an appeal is filed, payment in full of the original invoiced amount is required by May 10, 2024, to avoid an automatic notice of noncompliance and 20 per cent penalty. The AER will refund any overpayment resulting from a successful appeal within 30 days of the result of the appeal.
For questions about this bulletin, contact [email protected].
Seismic event reported near Fox Creek
The AER is responding to a reported seismic event that occurred late afternoon March 22, 35 km SW of Fox Creek.
Cygnet Energy reported a seismic event of 4.1 magnitude near their wellsite to the EDGE call centre. At this time, there are no reports of injuries or damage to property.
Cygnet has confirmed to the AER they engaged their mitigation protocols for such events, per Subsurface Order No. 2, and have safely ceased all operations on that well pad. The AER is reviewing the incident.
Scientists at the AGS use more than 50 monitoring systems to measure and research seismic activity across Alberta. The AGS utilizes this information to form an accurate picture of earthquake locations, magnitudes and discern the nature of these events.
Conservation group’s attempt to stop Alberta gravel pit mine denied by board
An attempt by a conservation group to stop a proposed gravel pit north of Calgary has failed.
In a decision dated March 6(opens in a new tab), the Alberta Environment Appeals Board (AEAB) said while the Bighill Creek Preservation Society (BCPS) raised some important points, a stay of proceedings would be “unlikely to achieve” its goal of stopping the mine.
Last August, the BCPS raised environmental concerns over the approval of proposed gravel mine(opens in a new tab), which would see Mountain Ash Ltd. open a 130-hectare open-pit operation northeast of Cochrane at the corner of Highway 567 and Range Road 40.
The BCPS said it could negatively impact groundwater, which could harm a natural spring, Big Hill Provincial Park, wetlands and riparian habitats.
The AEAB confirmed that the company’s pit site is located on the aquifer, located about 800 metres from the park and its springs, but concluded the province’s approval didn’t have anything to do with the project’s activities.
“The approval addresses how the project can interact with the wetlands on the site, and provides permission for certain activities to commence, continue, or discontinue in relation to the wetlands within the project area, as defined in the approval as ‘the activity,'” the AEAB said in its decision.
“The approval does not address any aspects of the registration, or proposed activities under the registration, because there is no need: the project is a dry pit and involves no excavation below or at the groundwater table.”
Mountain Ash, which also participated in the hearing, also said the BCPS’ concerns “are not reasonable.”
“The approval holder stated that the (consultation) report, prepared in response to the appellant’s statements of concern, found no measurable effects on hydrogeology at Big Hill Springs will occur, and therefore no irreparable harm to the appellant will occur,” the decision read.
“Any harm alleged is too speculative and should be given little weight.”
Despite the Mountain Ash’s belief that groundwater would not be harmed by the mine, the AEAB said the BCPS “raised a serious concern,” but it’s something that would need to be discussed further at a merits hearing.
The AEAB also said it was “persuaded” that the BCPS would suffer irreparable harm if groundwater was contaminated by the mine, given that its mission is to maintain the ecological integrity of the area.
However, with those points in mind, the board said a stay of the provincial approval “is not the place to test the allegations of potential harm” nor is it in the public interest.
“A stay of the Water Act portion of the regulatory authorizations would not necessarily halt or limit development at the site,” the board said.
“Moreover, as the approval holder has pointed out, the board notes that many of the concerns raised by the appellant in their submissions relate to the registration.”
While the stay was denied, an appeal against the gravel mine is still ongoing.
ECO Canada’s Employment Programs
For the past 20 years, ECO Canada has been facilitating connections between environmental employers and skilled junior talent through wage and training funding programs. These initiatives aim to provide valuable on-the-job work experience and essential skills development.
The value of these programs is founded in our commitment to championing the end-to-end careers of Canadian environmental workers. The benefits reach educators, students, new practitioners, environmental professionals, and employers across the country.
To date, ECO Canada has:
Employers, apply now to see if you are eligible.
Participants, get pre-qualified now by applying.
We are excited to announce that the following four employment programs are accepting applications now:
Benefits for Employers: | Benefits for Participants: |
· Increase work capacity · Access talented youth with new ideas & skills · Increase employee retention · Reduce staff training costs · Strengthen overall business operations · Support the growth of new qualified environmental workers | · Gain initial work experience · Secure permanent positions post-program · Network for lasting connections · Access funding for opportunities · Develop practical skills · Enhance job prospects and success opportunities |
Applications are now open and being reviewed for the April 1, 2024, start date. Matching will commence on April 15, 2024. Visit the respective environment program pages for detailed program guides.
Seize the opportunity to contribute to the green economy while supporting the development of skilled environmental professionals!
To stay tuned about our upcoming program openings, register here for our monthly newsletter.
The ECO Canada Team.
Wildsight report finds Elk Valley selenium reclamation will cost $6.4B
A new report commissioned by Wildsight estimates it will cost billions in reclamation costs to address selenium concentrations in Canadian and U.S. waterways that stem from mining activities in the Elk Valley coal mines.
Completed by Burgess Environmental Ltd., an independent consulting firm, the report estimates that $6.4 billion will be needed to implement the water quality plan created by Teck Resources Ltd. to build water treatment plants by 2027 and operate them for 60 years.
“The $6.4 billion figure that Burgess Environmental has calculated is particularly concerning because it is vastly more than Teck’s $1.9 billion reclamation security is set at, meaning they’ve severely underplayed the problem and B.C. taxpayers stand to foot a multi-billion-dollar bill if anything goes wrong,” said Simon Wiebe, Mining Policy and Impacts Researcher at Wildsight, in a press release.
Reclamation security is a BC government policy mandating that mining companies must provide financial assurance, such as through bonds, to the province in order to cover environmental reclamation and remediation costs.
“Our report calculates only the cost of remediating part of the selenium contamination in the Kootenay/ai watershed from the Elk Valley mines,” Wiebe said. “The true cost of cleaning up environmental damage from these mines will be far greater once land reclamation, groundwater remediation, treatment of other water contaminants, and monitoring are taken into account.”
“This report is strong evidence that the amount held by British Columbia is not going to be nearly enough to fix the selenium problem, let alone other environmental damage, and that must be rectified.”
In a statement, Teck disputed the reclamation estimates in the Burgess report, taking issue with aspects of how capital spend was included in the estimate, as well as “overstating” ongoing water treatment costs by upwards of 60 per cent.
“Teck meets all current bonding requirements as set out by the provincial government policy, and we are committed to meeting all reclamation obligations at no cost to government or taxpayers,” reads the statement. “Teck will have $1.9 billion for the Elk Valley Operations, as per the requirements and calculations under the BC Government policy.”
In a letter prefacing the Burgess Report, Gordon Johnson, president of Burgess Environmental Ltd., noted that Teck did not provide water treatment plan operational and maintenance cost figures. He also added that capital costs were included into the estimate as the province’s Chief Permitting Officer has the discretionary authority to exclude it from reclamation security.
According to the province’s Chief Inspector of Mines, the estimated reclamation liability for coal mining operations in the Elk Valley is $1.9 billion, with a total current bond amount of $1.4 billion.
The Burgess Report stated that selenium contamination in the Elk River originates from Teck’s mine operations in the Elk Valley, while also concluding that current company measures are not adequate for remediating selenium contamination.
Teck says it has invested $1.4 billion into water quality indicatives, which includes building four water treatment facilities that currently treat 77.5 million litres per day, removing “between 95% and 99% of selenium from treated water.”
The company says it is planning to build six additional water treatment facilities between now and 2027 that will cumulatively treat 150 million litres per day.
Wildsight expressed concern over the pending sale of Teck’s coal assets to Glencore, a Swiss-based mining company, a process that is currently winding through federal regulatory reviews. As part of the sale conditions, Glencore has committed to implementing the Elk Valley Water Quality Plan, which was approved by the B.C. government in 2014.
“We hope that both Glencore and the Canadian government will pay close attention to this report as they consider the sale, to ensure accountability for the selenium crisis is maintained throughout the transfer of ownership,” Wiebe said. “This is already an international environmental disaster, and it could still worsen.”
“Teck’s current strategy, which this report’s calculations are based on, would only remove half of the selenium produced by current mining operations. Moving forward, more and more waste rock will be produced, leading to more selenium being released, possibly requiring even more water treatment facilities.”
Concerns over water pollution in the Kootenay watershed have been acknowledged by the Canadian and American federal governments, which recently agreed to refer it to the International Joint Commission (IJC), which will study the issues over a two-year period and make non-binding recommendations.
The transboundary Ktunaxa Nation in the Columbia Basin have been advocating for a reference to the IJC for over a decade.
Court fines Alberta carrier, director $140,000 for diesel spill in Ontario lake
A Nipigon, Ont., court on March 22 fined an Alberta trucking company and its director $140,000 for Environmental Protection Act (EPA) violations, after one of its trucks crashed and spilled diesel into an Ontario lake.
In April 2021, a vehicle owned by V Trans was involved in an accident on Highway 11 near Lake Helen, in Northern Ontario, according to a news release. That accident resulted in a diesel spill that contaminated the soil and vegetation in the ditch and traveled through a culvert into nearby Lake Helen.
Lake Helen is a source of drinking water for the Lake Helen First Nation community and located within their traditional territory where they exercise their Aboriginal and treaty rights. It is also a cold water fishery that supports species that are particularly sensitive to hydrocarbon contamination.
The ministry discovered the spill in May 2021 and contacted V Trans advising it of its duty to report and clean up the spill. The defendants did not adequately contain the spill and did not clean up the contamination.
In July 2021, a ministry order was issued to V Trans and Husanpreet Singh, the company’s director, requiring that spill clean-up and site remediation be completed. Additionally, a report describing this work was to be prepared by a qualified professional and submitted to the ministry. The defendants failed to comply with the order by the deadline.
Neither the company nor Singh took any action to complete spill clean-up or site remediation and failed to respond to the ministry’s requests for updates.
In November 2022, the ministry retained a third party to remediate the spill and paid $84,004.58 using funds from the ministry’s Environmental Clean-Up Fund.
The court convicted V Trans for having control of a pollutant that was spilled and failing to notify the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, failing to comply with a ministry order by failing to remove all contamination from a site, and failing to provide the ministry with a report prepared by a qualified professional.
Singh was found guilty of failing to remove all contamination from a site, failing to provide the ministry with a report prepared by a qualified professional, and failing in his duty as the director of V Trans to notify the ministry of a discharge of a contaminant, namely diesel fuel.
V Trans was convicted of three violations under the EPA, fined $125,000 plus a victim fine surcharge (VFS) of $31,250 and given 15 days to pay.
Singh was convicted of three violations under the EPA, fined $15,000 plus a VFS of $3,750, and given 15 days to pay. As part of sentencing, an order was issued to the defendants under Section 190.1 of the EPA requiring that $84,004.58 be paid to the Minister of Finance within 30 days of conviction.
Federal government gets permit to remediate uranium exploration site near Łutselk’e, N.W.T.
(Source: CBC News) The federal government has received a land-use permit to begin remediating a once-abandoned uranium exploration site near Łutselk’e, N.W.T., in the summer of 2025.
The Stark Lake site is about 22 kilometres east of Łutselk’e, and it was used to explore for uranium in the ’40s and ’50s. The federal government took responsibility for the site when it was abandoned in 1969.
A closure and reclamation plan developed by infrastructure consulting firm AECOM and published last year said the area has moderate levels of contamination, including low-level, naturally occurring radioactive waste rock.
James Marlowe, the chief of the Łutselk’e Dene First Nation, hopes the clean up is thorough and that people can hunt and fish in the area without fear of radioactive material — like they did before exploration began.
“It’s a special place,” he said.
“Bringing the environment back to its natural state, that’s what we want.”
The Stark Lake site consists of a camp area on the shore of Regina Bay and a mining site less than a kilometre inland.
According to Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC), the area was staked in 1949 and optioned to Ridley Mines Holding Ltd. More exploration happened in the early ’50s but it stopped in 1954 because there wasn’t enough ore and it was low-grade.
CIRNAC said the Hudson’s Bay Oil and Gas Company Ltd. later did geophysical work at Stark Lake in 1969. In that same year, the site was abandoned and the federal government took responsibility for it.
Archival photos illustrate what life was like at the site in the early 1950s, while photos embedded in the reclamation plan show what it looks like now. The entrance into the mine shaft, called an “adit,” is covered in rocky rubble but is still partially open. There are also dilapidated wooden buildings, huge piles of waste rock, rusted pieces of equipment and dozens of old batteries and tin cans.
The Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board granted CIRNAC a five-year land use permit for the remediation project in mid-February.
According to that permit, the remediation work includes sealing mine shafts, managing more than 1,000 cubic metres of waste rock “through engineering controls,” burning and hauling away material, and demolishing structures.
CBC News asked CIRNAC how much of the waste rock at the mine site is believed to be radioactive and what, specifically, was being done with that material. The federal department did not respond by deadline.
According to Canada’s Treasury Board, the government has spent a little more than $2.5 million assessing and preparing the old mine site for clean up so far. In an email to CBC News earlier this month, CIRNAC said it couldn’t say how much the project will cost until it finds a contractor to do the work.
The remediation is expected to be done by the end of March 2026.
Juni Gahdële, an elder known more commonly in Łutselk’e by the name JC, said his father worked at the mine and he lived there with his family in the summer months as a kid.
“Man they used to make good bread out there, ah man, just deadly,” he said with a laugh. Though he may have fond memories of the area from his childhood, Gahdële is concerned about contamination there now.
Gahdële and Marlowe both described the area as a good place to hunt — particularly for moose.
Gahdële said people still use the region for hunting, but Stark Lake is only used for trophy fishing because the fish contain mercury. He wonders if that has to do with the mine site. He also doesn’t believe the federal government’s efforts will be enough to reverse damage done by exploration activities all those years ago.
“It’s beyond that now, you know. Like just covering with sand and gravel is not going to do it. We’re talking about contamination. We’re talking about the plants, we’re talking about the trees, we’re talking about the animals, we’re talking about the water,” he said.
When the remediation work is gone, Gahdële wants to see thorough testing of the environment carried out by scientists independent of the federal government so that his community gets information about contamination levels that they can trust.
“There’s a lot of things that happened around that mine that we don’t know about. And I’m sure the information the government has, might not be shared with us — governments like to cover things up,” he said.
Marlowe, meanwhile, said he’s glad the federal government is cleaning up the site.
He hopes the reclamation work will be effective and that his community will use the land, water and wildlife there like they did before. Post-closure monitoring is expected to continue for several years after the clean up is done, and Marlowe said that will be necessary to restore people’s confidence in the area’s safety.
Texas farmers launch PFAS lawsuit against biosolids company
A group of Texas farmers is suing a Maryland-based company, which also produces biosolids in Canada, over claims their farms were damaged by a biosolids-based fertilizer contaminated with PFAS.
In a February 27 court filing, the farmers allege that Synagro Technologies and its Texas subsidiary are responsible for a range of health issues experienced by the farmers and their animals since they began using the fertilizer in 2022.
The civil lawsuit claims that the biosolids-based fertilizer tested positive for 27 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS. Eight of the compounds were found to have “extremely high” concentrations of PFAS, according to contracted soil and water tests taken from the five plaintiff’s properties.
“Synagro knew, or reasonably should have known, of the foreseeable risks and defects of its biosolids fertilizer,” the lawsuit argues. “Synagro nonetheless failed to provide adequate warnings of the known and foreseeable risk or hazard related to the way the Synagro Granulite was designed, including pollution of properties and water supplies with PFAS. Synagro also failed to provide adequate instructions regarding the use and disposal of its biosolids fertilizer to prevent pollution of properties and water supplies with PFAS.”
The farmers are seeking compensation and punitive damages in an amount greater than $75,000.
Some of the human health issues raised in the lawsuit include high blood pressure, respiratory and cardiac problems, skin irritations and growths. There are also claims of livestock fatalities and irreparable damage to farmland.
Synagro works with a number of Canadian municipalities, including Hamilton and Windsor, Ontario, according to the company’s website. It is the majority owner of the residuals treatment facility located at the Hartland Landfill for the Capital Regional District (CRD) about 14 kilometres northwest of Victoria, B.C..
In British Columbia, the CRD is still finalizing its biosolids plan, but has gone on record to note that its generated biosolids have not been utilized for agricultural purposes, and the majority are currently landfilled. The CRD had planned to rely on incineration at a cement production facility in Richmond, but faced operational difficulties at the cement kiln over the last two years.
Public consultation on the biosolids plan has been ongoing in 2024, however, the British Columbia government requires the CRD to submit a Long-Term Biosolids Management Plan by June.
On the CRD website, it states that, “CRD biosolids have been analyzed for contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, and PFAS, and results show that concentrations are low, and that the potential for risk to human health and the environment is small.”
The CRD further notes that its biosolids were tested for 38 of the most common PFAS compounds, and detected 14 types of PFAS in the parts-per-billion range. The rest were not found.
Lastly, the CRD notes that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is proposing to adopt a standard of less than 50 parts per billion of perfluorooctane sulfonate, or PFOS, as an indicator of PFAS contamination, to protect agricultural land. The concentration of PFOS in CRD biosolids is approximately 6 ppb, its website states.
Neither Synagro nor the CRD have publicly commented on the pending legal action.
New ESAA Member
ESAA welcomes the following new member. If you are not a member of ESAA you can join now via: https://esaa.org/join-esaa/
Synergy Land and Environmental Services Ltd
Suite 124, 885 – 42 Ave SE
Calgary, AB T2G 5N6
Phone: 403.283.4400
Scott Rogerson, Vice President
ScottRogerson@synergylandenv.
SYNERGY LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES is an expanding progressive land and environmental consulting firm with a special interest in oil and gas, forestry, mining, energy, and agricultural industries, and municipal authorities throughout Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Canada’s north. Synergy began as a home-based business in November 2006. Today, Synergy is a national company, with 60 staff members located in our Calgary, St Albert, Fort Macleod, Fort St. John, Prince George, Regina, Brandon and Cambridge. We offer interdisciplinary expertise to develop environmental, archaeological and land solutions for our clients throughout Canada.
Upcoming Events
ESAA Environmental Summit
April 15-17, 2024
Kananaskis Mountain Lodge
Starts in Less Than 3 Weeks – Have You Registered?
The Draft Agenda is now available for the 2nd annual ESAA Summit – April 15 – 17th at the Kananaskis Mountain Lodge.
- Navigating Waste and ESG Reporting: Unraveling Complexity with Technology
- Toward Sustainable Development: Dual (and Competing) Imperatives for Industry and Municipalities
- Net Zero – What Does This Mean and What Can We Do? ESG and the Environmental Sector
- Sustainability in Action: Navigating Complexities of the Three Pillars of Sustainability
- Wildfires – Disaster Management Risk Management and Climate Resiliency
- What Does Water Have To Do With It? – Critical Thinking with Drought Strategies Finding A Realistic Approach to Stewardship
- A Breathe of Fresh Air .. Maybe? Balancing Noise, Odour, Particulate and Contaminant Air Emissions
- Navigating the Environmental Business Landscape: A Comprehensive Approach to Risk Management, Insurance and Liability Mitigation
- Indigenous Awareness and Inclusion Panel – Walking towards Economic Reconciliation
Justin Riemer, Emissions Reduction Alberta
Technology & Artificial Intelligence in the Wild
Brian Keating, Going Wild
Full details at: Agenda – ESAA
Hotel Accommodations: The 2024 edition will take place at the Kananaskis Mountain Lodge. Discover an extraordinary experience at Kananaskis Mountain Lodge, Autograph Collection, where you’re surrounded by mountainous beauty and modern luxury. Nestled against the enchanting Canadian Rockies, our upscale hotel is perfect for unique summer and winter activities. Room rates at the Kananaskis Mountain Lodge start at $245 + taxes. Book your room at: Kananaskis Mountain Lodge – ESAA
Registration: Register now at: Register – ESAA
BEST 2024
BC’S PREMIER ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY CONFERENCE!
MAY 8 – 10 | FAIRMONT CHATEAU WHISTLER | WHISTLER, BC
BEST 2024 Registration Now Open!
Earlybird Deadline: March 2nd
Register now and save up to $100
Join us for the 11th annual Bettering Environmental Stewardship & Technology (BEST) Conference! The BCEIA’s BEST Conference attracts environmental professionals every May for two and a half days of technical sessions, networking opportunities, and a sponsor tradeshow.
Mark your calendars now so you don’t miss out on the “BEST” opportunity to network and learn about the current environment industry in BC!
Early Bird Registration Fees
BCEIA MEMBERS $675
NON-MEMBERS $825
Prices are excusive of GST
Full details at: https://bceia.com/events-calendar/#id=106&cid=1941&wid=1601
MAY ESAA Mixers
ESAA is coming to Southern Alberta!
Do you have staff or clients in the Medicine Hat/Lethbridge/Calgary area? Share the following event information with them.
Join us for 1 or all 3 Mixers as always we will have Drinks, Food and Fun!
ESAA will be donating 50% of all registration fees to;
Medicine Hat:
- The Medicine Hat and District Food bank is the next step in the evolution of a strong and sustainable city. Their mission is to build community by improving the lives of all community members through the power of local food.
Lethbridge:
- The Friends of the Helen Schuler Nature Centre Society support a community of environmentally responsible citizens with nature-based educational experiences, presentations, and workshops. Our desire is to further position the Helen Schuler Nature Centre as a world-class facility that connects visitors and residents to the many benefits of the great outdoors. We want to facilitate interactive experiences and memorable moments.
Calgary:
- The Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS) is a grassroots animal welfare organization with a foundation of compassion and kindness, embodied by its hard-working staff, volunteers, foster homes and supporters. Their goal is to help homeless animals in communities across Alberta and provide community support programs to address the root causes of animal overpopulation and homelessness. Every day AARCS receives calls about animals in need of help — from broken bones, gunshot wounds, embedded porcupine quills, and mange to deadly diseases such as parvovirus. AARCS strives to ensure that these animals receive the medical care they need, along with the chance to recover in a loving foster home.
To Sponsor or to RSVP, visit: ESAA Mixers
Breaking Down Barriers: Communicating the Benefits of Brownfields
Date: April 4, 2024Location: VirtualJoin us for an informative webinar on communicating the benefits of brownfields, that will include:
- from a grassroots perspective
- from a development perspective
- from a municipal perspective
If you are a practitioner or stakeholder that wants to dig deeper below the surface of brownfields redevelopment, this webinar is for you. Topics will include ‘how-tos’ for innovative community engagement, using storytelling techniques to effectively pitch your project, convincing politicians on the benefits of brownfield community improvement plans and tailoring your outreach strategy. This webinar will help you reimagine your brownfields roadmap and overcome opposition and move your brownfield program to success with transferable and timely approaches.his webinar will use case studies to explore how municipalities and the private sector are working together to deliver affordable housing while supporting the reuse of brownfield properties, addressing two important public policy objectives. The lessons learned will benefit the spectrum of stakeholders working to deliver affordable housing, as well as, brownfield practitioners, including municipal leaders, developers, and the range of consultants that collectively work to achieve the desired outcomes.
2024 Alberta PFAS Remediation Technologies Workshop
Wed, May 22, 2024 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM MDT
University of Calgary – building location and room number will be provided at a later date.
Join the Conversation on
What’s New with Excess Soils!
Join us on September 26, 2024 for the 8th annual Excess Soils Symposium where we will provide a first-rate update on the business of excess soils and new regulations impacting construction and cleanup projects.
With the goal to make the event content as inclusive and geographically diverse as possible, we are providing an open call for participation. Do you have a compelling technical abstract ready to share? Are you interested in pitching a panel topic or participating in a panel? We encourage you to submit your suggestions here by May 3rd.
ESAA Job Board
Check out the new improved ESAA Job Board. Members can post ads for free.
Current Listings:
- Environmental Co-op Student – Trace Associates Inc.
- Environmental Student – Trace Associates Inc.
- Junior Geoscientist – Trace Associates Inc.
- Junior Environmental Scientist – Trace Associates Inc.
- Senior Environmental Planner –Stantec
- Junior Environmental Consultant – North Shore Environmental Consultants Inc.
- Site Investigation & Remediation (SIR) Team Lead –Stantec Consulting Services Inc.
- Jr. To Intermediate Environmental Project Manager/Hydrogeologist – TerraLogix Solutions Inc.
- Intermediate to Senior Environmental Consultant – Contaminated Sites – EBM Geoscience Inc.
- Environmental Risk Assessor – EBM Geoscience Inc.
- REMEDIATION LEAD – Salix Resource Management Ltd.
- Senior Environmental Project Manager – Arletta Environmental Consulting
- Senior Environmental Scientist – Solstice Environmental Management
- Senior Ecologist – Solstice Environmental Management
- Risk Assessor & Technical Reporter – Arletta Environmental Consulting
- Reclamation Coordinator –
- Arletta Environmental Consulting Corp
- Network Coordinator – ClimateWest
- Project Coordinator – ClimateWest