Smart Methods in Advanced Remediation Technologies (SMART) is a series of technical learning seminars for environmental professionals. Our goal is to bring the North American environmental community together to enhance our collective understanding of cutting edge characterization and remediation technologies.

This year we have another great lineup of interesting talks on a wide variety of topics, including PFAS, excess soils, risk management, technical case studies, and more!

Seminars will be held in:

• Brampton, ON Jan 26, 2023 (register here - https://smartremediation.com/register/#register-toronto)
• Ottawa, ON February 2, 2023  (register here - https://smartremediation.com/register/#register-ottawa)

A draft Excess Soil Reuse Guidance document from the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment is available for public review and comment until January 3, 2023. It is available in both English and French and is accompanied by a questionnaire containing specific questions for reviewers on certain sections of the draft document.

The document is intended to provide a reference tool for jurisdictions implementing excess soil management policies. It includes principles that should be considered in such a policy, circumstances under which they might be applied, and pros and cons related to the application of these principles. The guidance document provides elements that should be included in a traceability protocol intended to track beneficially reused soil. It discusses the responsibilities of both source and receiving sites in projects involving the reuse of excess soils.

RemTech East 2023 is being held May 30 to June 1, 2023 at the Fallsview Casino Resort, Niagara Falls, Ontario.

ESAA invites you to submit technical abstracts focusing on technologies for the remediation of contaminated soil.  Submission deadline is February 17th, 2023.  Notification of acceptance will be given by March 15th, 2023.

Alberta Environment and Protected Areas uses a 2-tier approach to address contaminated site remediation.

Tier 1 offers generic guidelines for a range of sites within a given land use.

Tier 2 explains how to modify Tier 1 guidelines for specific sites.

The 2022 editions of the Alberta Tier 1 and Tier 2 guidelines will come into effect on January 1, 2023.

InnoTech Alberta is scoping an applied research program to address challenges related to the reclamation and remediation of salt-affected sites in Alberta. InnoTech has a long history of supporting Alberta’s market sectors with research, development, and technology innovation to address complex environmental issues. 

Preliminary consultation with industry and practitioners indicates that there are numerous challenges associated with salt-affected sites, including difficulty in revegetating naturally saline soils, challenges in remediating anthropogenic salinity to background values, and difficulty in navigating regulatory processes, such as the development of site-specific guidelines. Salt-affected sites are often a liability for industry if they become stalled through environmental management processes and/or require costly assessment and remediation activities. Sustainability, often associated with the disposal of impacted soil, is also a concern in the management of these sites. Industry and practitioners have indicated that they are interested in solutions that start to ‘move the needle’ on salt-affected sites. 

We are seeking input from industry, regulators, and practitioners to understand: (1) the key challenges and priorities related to salt-affected sites, and (2) potential solutions and validation required to enable broader use.

If you have experience managing salt-affected sites, please fill out the 5 min survey HERE by October 7, 2022.  Responses will be amalgamated and will not be attributed to specific organizations or individuals. Please direct any questions to: sarah.thacker@innotechalberta.ca.