PFAS Management In Canada Workshop

On September 16^th, Urban Water TMU* (in partnership with the Ontario Water Consortium, Pollution Probe, Canadian Water and Wastewater Association, and Actual Media) held the PFAS Management in Canada Workshop to a full house of active participants!

*Urban Water TMU is uniquely positioned as a non-partisan academic hub to bring together stakeholders from diverse sectors to find solutions to complex problems.

The agenda was curated to feature presentations followed by roundtable discussions to develop recommendations to Government and decision-makers. Presentations were given by experts: Dr. Ian Cousins (keynote), Dr. Mohamed Ateia (keynote), Dr. Patrician Hania,  Dr. Roxana Suehring, Tim Fletcher, Stephanie McFadyen, Michael Goffin, W. Scott Thurlow, Phil Sidhwa, Dr. Rania Hamza, Dr. Scott Hopkins & Dr. Naomi Klinghoffer. 

Experts next levelled our understanding of this complex group of chemicals, the overarching governance and management, and the socioeconomic, environmental, and health implications.

Participants were placed at transdisciplinary, trans-sectoral, roundtables with Federal government, Provincial government, Municipal utilities, engineer consultant firms, laboratories, PFAS destruction providers, industry, and academia.

Roundtables engaged and discussed: 1) reducing the circulation of PFAS in the Canadian environment with regulatory and non-regulatory approaches, and 2) leveraging the opportunity to remove PFAS from WWTPs while preserving nutrients that our agricultural sector may need.  

Participants held dynamic roundtable discussions and developed transdisciplinary recommendations for Government and decision makers.

Huge thanks to our sponsors for supporting us and enabling this workshop to take place: Purifics, Continental Carbon, Veolia, ALS Global, Arcadis, and the Office of the Provost TMU.

Super High Five to the organizing committee for their hard work and dedication, delivering a hugely successful event: Rania Hamza, Kim Gilbride, Roxana Suehring, Patricia Hania, Michael Goffin, and Angela Murphy.

Special thanks to the amazing group of student volunteers who participated in the event planning and supported the logistics all day.