{"id":833874,"date":"2026-07-29T15:03:21","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T15:03:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/833874\/"},"modified":"2026-07-29T15:03:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T15:03:21","slug":"new-leadership-on-contaminated-soil-remediation-for-quebec-industry-organizations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/833874\/","title":{"rendered":"New leadership on contaminated soil remediation for Quebec industry organizations"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), in collaboration with the Minist\u00e8re de l\u2019Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP), announced a new industrial research chair for the in situ\u00a0treatment of soil and groundwater contaminated by persistent and emerging pollutants. The initiative, launched with the support of\u00a0TechnoRem<\/a>, a subsidiary of ABS, aims to address one of Qu\u00e9bec\u2019s most pressing environmental challenges: the sustainable remediation of contaminated sites.<\/p>\n

Contaminated soil and groundwater are a considerable environmental liability for Qu\u00e9bec. Municipalities, government agencies, and developers must contend with complex contamination issues, emerging pollutants, and limited\u2013particularly financial\u2013resources.\u00a0In situ\u00a0treatment technologies, which allow decontamination to proceed directly on site, offer an ecological, cost\u2011effective, and context\u2011appropriate solution.<\/p>\n

Under the leadership of\u00a0Professor Richard Martel<\/a>, a recognized expert in hydrogeology, the Chair\u2019s team will develop new knowledge and strategies to improve\u00a0in situ\u00a0treatment methods and identify new applications.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIn today\u2019s environmental context,\u00a0in situ decontamination of soil and groundwater is critically important,\u201d says Professor Martel. \u201cThe easiest sites to decontaminate are already being treated, but persistent contaminants \u2014 buried deep underground or located beneath infrastructure \u2014 are stubbornly hard to get at and remove. With this Chair, we aim to address Qu\u00e9bec\u2019s needs by working with industry to develop innovative and sustainable approaches capable of treating these pollutants directly at the source.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Research Chair will receive $3.5 million in funding from MELCCFP and ABS\u2011TechnoRem over the next five years.<\/p>\n

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An exciting partnership for the advancement of knowledge<\/p>\n

The Chair brings together professors, engineers, and field specialists around a common goal: accelerating the development of workable and effective\u00a0in situ\u00a0decontamination solutions adapted to Qu\u00e9bec\u2019s realities.<\/p>\n

At INRS\u2019s\u00a0Centre Eau Terre Environnement<\/a>, a multidisciplinary team will leverage its expertise in site remediation, environmental biotechnology, industrial bioprocesses, modelling, and engineering in collaboration with other universities, including Polytechnique Montr\u00e9al and UQAT (Universit\u00e9 du Qu\u00e9bec en Abitibi-T\u00e9miscamingue). The partnership with TechnoRem adds vital operational expertise to test and validate new solutions under real\u2011world conditions and support their transfer to end\u2011users.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn situ decontamination is essential for rehabilitating polluted sites and ensuring they can be used safely. For over 35 years, our commitment has been to improve quality of life for Quebecers,\u201d explains Jean\u2011Marc Lauzon, Principal Director of ABS\u2011TechnoRem. \u201cThis new Chair is a reflection of our pride and our drive to innovate. With the vision and expertise of our partners, we will strengthen Qu\u00e9bec\u2019s leadership in remediation solutions and continue to develop cutting\u2011edge approaches to meet tomorrow\u2019s challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n

Research activities will follow a complete development pathway: laboratory research, intermediate\u2011scale testing in 2D and 3D sand tanks, and then pilot\u2011scale field trials. The Chair is committed to driving innovation in\u00a0in situ\u00a0treatment.<\/p>\n

Tackling the most worrisome contaminants<\/p>\n

The research will focus on substances of particular concern, including per\u2011 and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), petroleum hydrocarbons, dioxins, furans, perchlorates, brominated flame retardants, plasticizers, and selected pharmaceutical products. These contaminants enter the environment following accidental spills or as a result of earlier industrial practices.<\/p>\n

They are persistent and toxic to human health and ecosystems and require treatment methods adapted to Qu\u00e9bec\u2019s colder climate and the remoteness of some of its treatment sites.<\/p>\n

Big benefits for Qu\u00e9bec<\/p>\n

Treating contaminants directly at the source will sustainably reduce Qu\u00e9bec\u2019s environmental liability while avoiding offloading the problem to landfill sites. Less excavation and transportation of contaminated soil will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions and related nuisances.<\/p>\n

Local communities will enjoy reduced exposure risk without need for relocation and with no disruption to surface activities. Economically, the Chair will contribute to the development of a Qu\u00e9bec\u00a0in situ\u00a0treatment industry while fostering innovation and creating specialized jobs, particularly in remote regions.<\/p>\n

INRS will also play a central role in training the next generation of scientists to meet the growing need for sustainable decontamination.<\/p>\n

The Chair is aligned with the\u00a0MELCCFP\u2019s 2023\u20132029 Action Plan<\/a>, which seeks to foster innovation and sustainable rehabilitation methods.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udf31\u00a0Don\u2019t miss updates from Environment Journal. Sign up for your free subscription\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Featured photo credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), in collaboration with the Minist\u00e8re de l\u2019Environnement, de la Lutte…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":833875,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[49,48,295,36844,281596,84,291048,291049],"class_list":["post-833874","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-environment","tag-environment-journal","tag-government-of-quebec","tag-health","tag-richard-martel","tag-technorem"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/833874","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=833874"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/833874\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/833875"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=833874"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=833874"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=833874"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}