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Geotechnical News • September 2017
WASTE GEOTECHNICS
Canadian universities leading research toward
environmentally responsible resource extraction
David Blowes, Carol Ptacek, Jeff Bain, Steve Holland, Julia Jamieson-Hanes,
Krista Elena, and Vivian Giang
Researchers from seven of Canada’s
leading universities have established
two major research and training
programs with the Natural Sciences
and Engineering Research Council of
Canada (NSERC). Through these pro-
grams, the researchers aim to promote
the broad collaboration and knowledge
sharing necessary to address the tech-
nical and social challenges associated
with responsible resource extraction.
The Challenge
Mining is an important sector of the
global economy, because it provides
the raw materials used in virtually
all other industries around the world.
Canada is a world leader in the pro-
duction of mined commodities, includ-
ing base and precious metals, coal,
diamonds, petroleum, and uranium.
But the environmental and social
impacts associated with mining remain
an important issue. In particular, mines
can release drainage contaminated by
high concentrations acidity of dis-
solved metal(loid)s, sulfate, and acid-
ity, all of which pose prominent threats
to the environment. Effective methods
are needed to predict, mitigate, and
remedy these environmental threats.
New methods and technologies for
managing and stabilizing mine wastes,
treating contami-
nated mine water,
and remediating
decommissioned
and abandoned
mine sites have
been developed
and are being
used throughout
Canada. But
more research
is needed to
enhance these
methods and
technologies and
develop new
ones. Concerns
regarding past
remediation
strategies and
the long-term
effectiveness of
current mine-
waste management practices are the
main focus of the NSERC Strategic
Partnership Grants for Networks
“NSERC Toward Environmentally
Responsible Resource Extraction”
(TERRE-NET). By addressing these
concerns, this research network will
help to bridge the gap between discov-
ery and innovation in implementing
better mine management and remedia-
tion technologies.
TERRE-NET builds on the strengths
of the Training toward Environmen-
tally Responsible Resource Extraction
(TERRE) program funded through
NSERC’s Collaborative Research
and Training Experience (CREATE)
Program. TERRE-CREATE pro-
vides enhanced training opportuni-
ties for undergraduate and graduate
students and postdoctoral fellows.
Working together, TERRE-NET and
TERRE-CREATE will forge close
collaborative ties among world-class
researchers and research facilities at
top Canadian and international univer-
sities. These ties will enable TERRE-
NET to prepare the next generation
of scientists and engineers to address
the pressing challenges of long-term
environmental protection at active,
decommissioned, and abandoned mine
sites.
TERRE-NET
TERRE-NET unites leading experts
from universities across Canada
working in the fields of geochemistry,
hydrogeology, mineralogy, biogeo-
chemistry, waste-water processing,
