34
Geotechnical News • September 2017
WASTE GEOTECHNICS
critical environmental, ecological,
social and economic considerations
surrounding resource extraction. In
addition, TERRE CREATE trainees
will have opportunities to participate
in industry- or government-partnered
internships and collaborative research
exchanges between industry, govern-
ment, and universities external to their
home institutions; such exchanges
will provide trainees not only with
enhanced research experience, but also
with substantial networking opportuni-
ties.
From its inception in April 2014, the
TERRE CREATE program has strived
to maintain a strong working relation-
ship between affiliated university
researchers and leading industry
professionals. Its industry partners
have been instrumental in helping
to identify key areas of professional
development and soft skill acquisi-
tion which would greatly benefit new
scientists and engineers looking to
enter industry positions in the resource
extraction sector; these areas include
communication and leadership, techni-
cal writing, and innovation, intel-
lectual property, commercialization,
and entrepreneurship. The TERRE
CREATE program offers many unique
courses which cover these important
disciplines, and provides stipend
funding to undergraduate and graduate
students and postdoctoral research-
ers to facilitate course and research
exchange participation.
Overall Impact
These two programs directly address
NSERC’s priority areas of natural
resources and environmental sci-
ence and technology. The benefits of
TERRE-NET research to Canada in
the short- and long-term will be mul-
tifaceted. TERRE-NET will develop
advanced scientific tools and processes
for mine-waste management for use by
the mining industry. In addition, it is
anticipated that government agencies
responsible for the long-term manage-
ment of abandoned mine sites, and
for regulating active and decommis-
sioned mining operations, will utilize
TERRE-NET results to inform policy
decisions to improve best practices for
mine-waste management design and
monitoring, and to minimize impacts
to water quality, the environment, and
human health. Further, TERRE CRE-
ATE will train a new generation of
highly qualified personnel to pioneer
new standards and technologies for
protecting environmental quality. With
their help, Canada can lead the world’s
drive towards environmentally respon-
sible resource extraction.
David Blowes, PhD, Carol Ptacek,
PhD, Jeff Bain, MSc, Steve Holland,
MSc, Julia Jamieson-Hanes, MSc,
and Krista Elena, MSc, are part of
the University of Waterloo Ground-
water Geochemistry & Remedia-
tion Research Group, University of
Waterloo, EIT 5004, 200 University
Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L
3G1,
. and Vivian
Giang email:
