Vancouver, BC – TheNewswire – October 6th, 2021 – BQE Water Inc. (TSXV:BQE) (OTC:BTQNF), a leader in the management of mine wastewaters and metallurgical bleed streams, is proud to have our Kemess Selen-IX™ Plant for Selenium Removal recognized with a 2022 Clean50 Top Project Award by Delta Management Group. Clean50 Top Projects acknowledge the best sustainability projects completed in Canada over the prior two years and are noted for their innovation, their ability to inform and inspire other Canadians.
The Kemess treatment plant is the first full-scale application of our Selen-IX™ technology and represents a step change for the mining industry to control selenium. Specifically, it provides the ability to reach end-of-pipe water quality regulations of less than 2 parts per billion for selenium without reliance on dilution, avoids the risks of acute and chronic toxicity that have been linked with existing treatment systems, enables intermittent and/or seasonal operations, and eliminates long-term liabilities associated with managing selenium waste residue by producing a stable and non-toxic by-product suitable for reuse in steel production.
“We are very honoured to have our Kemess Selen-IX™ project selected for a Clean50 Top Project Award,” said David Kratochvil, President & CEO of BQE Water. “Successful global decarbonization relies on environmentally responsible mining to supply important metals. Without a viable industry solution for selenium, we may not reach carbon goals to offset climate change or we do so with great risks that harms the environment. Many new mining projects in Canada and globally have identified selenium as a contaminant of concern and Selen-IX™ will help contribute to the sustainable extraction of metals worldwide.”
Gavin Pitchford, CEO of Delta Management Group, explains, “Delta’s criteria in determining Project awards is to carefully consider a combination of actual measurable impact, demonstrated innovation, and the project’s ability to inspire others to imitate it – and the Kemess Selen-IX™ Plant for Selenium Removal completed by BQE Water is a terrific example.”
Additional benefits of the plant compared to other treatment systems applied by the industry includes removing selenium without transforming it into a more toxic form of selenium, not introducing any new chemicals or contaminants to the treated water, the ability to adjust rapidly to feed water flow and composition fluctuations, and treatment efficiency is not affected by cold water temperatures.
Selenium is essential to all life forms in trace amounts. Naturally occurring in the earth’s crust, it is released into water in large quantities by mining. Selenium becomes toxic with long-term chronic effects such as physical deformities and genetic mutations at low doses with selenium bioaccumulation starting in invertebrates and fish and moves up the food chain. These concerns have led North American regulatory agencies to enact selenium discharge limits ranging from 1 to 10 parts per billion.
More information about the awards is available here: https://www.clean50.com
https://www.thenewswire.com/press-releases/1BKRFeD3D-bqe-water-kemess-selen-ixtm-plant-for-selenium-removal-wins-canadas-clean50-top-project-award.html