TMCnet News
Canada Announces Semi-Finalists of Impact Canada Oil Spill Response ChallengeHALIFAX, NS, Oct. 7, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - All across Canada, healthy oceans and waterways provide prosperous local economies and resilient communities. Now more than ever, as the country transitions to a net-zero economy, the Government of Canada is focused on protecting diverse ecosystems, Canada's natural heritage, and the jobs that rely on them. That's why we are pursuing next-generation oil spill detection and recovery technologies to protect and preserve our coastlines and the natural environment from oil spills due to accidents or system malfunctions. Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced the 10 semi-finalists of the Impact Canada Oil Spill Response Challenge, each receiving up to $300,000 in funding to develop rapidly deployable oil spill response solutions. The Challenge will assess technologies through two streams: 1) detection, to improve data availability and accuracy to inform oil spill response measures; and, 2) recovery, to clean up oil spills in aquatic environments to the fullest extent possible and expedite environmental recovery. The semi-finalists were selected by a committee of oil spill response experts, following the thorough review and evaluation of applications. They include: Detection stream:
Recovery stream:
The $10-million Oil Spill Response Challenge is the seventh challenge launched by Natural Resources Canada under the Impact Canada initiative. The previous six cleantech challenges were designed to help address some of Canada's most pressing environmental problems. They are Women in Cleantech, The Sky's the Limit, Power Forward, Crush It!, Indigenous Off-diesel Initiative and Charging the Future. Quotes "Advancing innovative solutions for the detection and recovery of marine and freshwater oil spills is paramount for the protection of the environment and the prosperity, health and safety of Canadians. Through this Challenge, we are providing the opportunity for innovators to create the tools we need to help keep our ecosystems safe and respond to accidents while creating jobs and supporting the clean technology sector. This Challenge builds on the federal government's proven record of prioritizing ocean health, such as through the historic $3.5-billion Oceans Protection Plan." The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson "Canada's marine and freshwater ecosystems are an important part of what makes our country unique. I congratulate the semi-finalists and look forward to seeing what science-based solutions they develop to detect and clean up oil spills. These solutions will contribute greatly to our ongoing environmental response efforts, so we can continue to protect Canada's waterways and aquatic ecosystems for the benefit of all." The Honourable Joyce Murray Related Links
Follow us on Twitter: @NRCan (http://twitter.com/nrcan) SOURCE Natural Resources Canada |