Biologist will advise on oilsands pollution

Biology researcher George Dixon (left), who is currently serving as Waterloo’s vice-president (university research), has taken on a high-profile task for the Alberta government: he’ll join a six-member panel advising on whether the controversial oilsands development in northern Alberta is dumping major pollution into the Athabasca River.

“Understanding the impact of the oil sands industry on the watershed of northeastern Alberta is critical,” a blog posting from Alberta Environment said last week. “We need to have total and complete assurance in data before we make decisions on how to best balance environmental protection with development. There have been varying interpretations of data coming from the Athabasca River and we need to get to the bottom of the issue. Recently, Premier [Ed] Stelmach said that it is critical for the future of environmentally responsible energy development that we understand why these differences exist.”

Hence the committee of six scientists, all from outside Alberta, which “draws from a wide range of expertise — from metal transportation in fresh water to airborne pollution to environmental chemistry. Using their extensive knowledge, these experts will examine water monitoring data and methodology from both government and academic research, and will investigate whether data is consistent with historical values in the region. They will also explain the relevance of any differences and gaps that may exist.

“We don't know what the answers are going to be,” the blog continued. “But, if the review indicates that more work needs to be done to protect the watershed from industrial activity, the Government of Alberta is committed to doing so.”

There’s also a federal “advisory panel” looking into environmental issues around the oilsands. That group was named in late September to advise minister of the environment Jim Prentice on “the current state of environmental research and monitoring in the region around Alberta's oil sands and to make recommendations to ensure that state-of-the-art monitoring and best practices are implemented”.

Alberta’s oil sands (also known as “tar sands”) are of vast importance both to the provincial economy and to world petroleum supplies, but there are heated arguments about the environmental soundness of the way heavy crude oil is extracted in the huge area around the remote industrial town of Fort McMurray. Dixon, who has an international reputation as an expert in the biological field of ecotoxicology, has been studying the ecological impacts of the oil sands for some 15 years.

For each barrel of oil produced from the sands, there are also six to seven barrels of “tailings” — oily sand, clay, and water, laced with contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and naphthenic acids. The tailings are dumped into pits as a temporary storage method. Dixon and his multidisciplinary team have been monitoring contaminant levels and effects on aquatic organisms in waters near mining operations.

Over the next 30 years, there are plans to develop more than 30 lakes by diverting stored tailings to mined-out areas, which will then be capped with clean water. The first lake is to be flooded in 2011. The next step will be to monitor the created lakes, to see whether natural chemical and biological processes transform them into healthy ecosystems. “The goal will be to connect these created lakes, once they’ve matured, with streams and rivers, and to reintegrate them with the watershed,” Dixon says. “The idea is to end with a self-managing system.”

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Seeking the next University Professors

The provost has issued an invitation for department chairs and "the University community generally" to suggest who should receive the high honour of University Professor in 2011.

To date, a memo notes, UW “has awarded this distinction” to 17 faculty members: Garry Rempel, Mary Thompson and Mark Zanna in 2004; Terry McMahon, Cam Stewart and Robert Jan van Pelt in 2005; Phelim Boyle and Ian Munro in 2006; Ken Davidson, Keith Hipel and Jake Sivak in 2007; Roy Cameron and Flora Ng in 2008; Ellsworth LeDrew and Ming Li in 2009; and  Stuart McGill and Janusz Pawliszyn earlier this year.

The memo — one of the last issued by Feridun Hamdullahpur before he moved from the provost’s office to become president — summarizes the purpose of the award and the nomination process: "The University of Waterloo owes much of its reputation and stature to the quality of its eminent professors. UW recognizes exceptional scholarly achievement and international pre-eminence through the designation 'University Professor'. Once appointed, a faculty member retains the designation for life.

"Not counting retirees, it is anticipated there will be 14 University Professorships at steady state, with at most two appointments each year. Such appointments are reported to Senate and to the Board of Governors . . . and are recognized at Convocation."

Nominations are invited each fall. "A nominee shall have demonstrated exceptional scholarly achievement and international pre-eminence in a particular field or fields of knowledge. The individual who nominates a colleague is responsible for gathering the documentation and submitting it to the Vice-President, Academic & Provost. The University Tenure and Promotion Committee will act as the selection committee; its decisions are final.

"A nomination must be supported by at least six signatures from at least two UW departments and must be accompanied by a curriculum vitae and a short non-technical description of the nominee's contributions. A nomination must also be accompanied by letters from the nominee's Dean," and also comments from "scholars of international standing in the nominee's field" — the memo gives the details. The memo adds that the selection committee keeps the dossiers of unsuccessful nominees on hand for two more years, to be considered again with updated information.

Nominations for this year's awards should be "in my hands before Christmas", the provost writes.

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Other notes as Monday falls on Tuesday

Voting is under way as the staff association elects three members of its board of directors. They'll serve for two-year terms, starting as the association holds its annual meeting on October 28. Candidates are Monika Bothwell of the dean of science office; Edward Chrzanowski of the Computer Science Computing Facility; Sheila McConnell of computer science; Mike Patterson of information systems and technology; Darlene Ryan of the international student office; Jeremy Steffler of the engineering undergraduate office; and Michael Tennant of co-op education and career services. Voting is online and closes October 21. Meanwhile, the association has let it be known through its blog that Trevor Grove (left) of the Computer Science Computing Facility is the only candidate to be its new president, also starting at the time of the annual meeting. The new leader will take over from Doug Dye of the safety office, whose two-year term is ending.

A memo came out last week from the management of the new WatPD program of professional development courses: "The WatPD-Engineering Curriculum Committee is issuing a call for proposals for a PD course to be developed. The new requirements for Engineering students include two core PD courses to be taken during their first two work terms followed by three elective PD courses in subsequent work terms. This call for proposals involves the second course to be developed for the new program: Engineering Workplace Skills II, Developing Effective Plans. This course is an introduction to problem formulation and problem solution strategies in the workplace for co-op engineering students. It is expected that, through this course, students will practise defining problems, developing solution plans, and creating technical and non-technical presentations of plans. We are looking for individuals or teams of people with expertise in these areas to develop course content." There's more information online; proposals are due by November 5.

An interactive display about Afghanistan, and the role Canada is playing in "rebuilding the country", is visiting Renison University College this week. The display, which comes from the Canadian International Development Agency, is touring Canada " to inform Canadians about the developments occurring in Afghanistan. Using text, graphics, and streaming video, the display depicts recent progress on three signature projects: education for all Afghan children, eradication of polio, and the rehabilitation of Dahla Dam to create Afghan jobs and foster agriculture". It's open in Renison's front entrance area from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily through next Monday.

CAR

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