A researcher at the University of Calgary has found a way to use forestry and agricultural byproducts to cut green house gas emissions and clean up water used by oil sands companies.
David Layzell says straw and wood can be turned into a biocarbon designed to absorb acids in tailings ponds, just like using charcoal to filter impurities from tap water.
He says the water still isn’t drinkable but removes acids that create and release methane from the processed water.
Layzell say it can take out 75-90% of organic compounds from the ponds.
June 4th, 2013
