A more economical and environmentally friendly approach to capturing arsenic waste from mining operations may soon be developed thanks to an investment in new clean technologies from the Government of Canada.
The federal investment of $1.2 million was announced by the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophone and Member of Parliament for Compton-Stanstead, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development.
“Investments such as the one we’re celebrating today at Dundee Sustainable Technologies are essential for ensuring Canada’s transition to a greener economy,” said Bibeau. “Innovations related to waste from mining operations are especially important for our region because they help us find more energy-efficient solutions that are better for the environment.”
Dundee Sustainable Technologies will use the funding to develop a process to separate the arsenic waste commonly produced through mining operations and trap it in stable, non-toxic glass. This technology, to be developed in a factory in Namibia, will be able to be incorporated into existing mining operations both in Canada and around the world. This new technology will enable the production of cleaner ore from deposits. It could even be used to clean up abandoned mines that contain high levels of arsenic waste that pose a risk to the ecosystem.
“Dundee Sustainable Technologies’ arsenic sequestration technology will be used to clean up mining sites that are polluted and reduce the environmental degradation of soil at mine sites,” said Leah Lawrence, President and CEO, Sustainable Development Technology Canada. “This groundbreaking technology will deliver real environmental and economic benefits for all Canadians.”
The project is being funded through Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), which helps Canadian companies move toward the commercialization of early-stage clean technologies.
Investments in clean technology are part of the government’s Innovation and Skills Plan, a multi-year strategy to create well-paying jobs for the middle class and those working hard to join it. Investments in clean technology also support the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.
(newswire)
