Ground Effects Environmental Services Receives CT Funding



Ground Effects Environmental Services is the latest company to receive Signature funding from Communities of Tomorrow (CT) worth $250,000. The funds will be used to commercialize a new technology for in-situ desalinization, an electrokinetic remediation process that removes salt from contaminated soil sites.

Salt is one of largest soil contaminators in the world, and the electrokinetic remediation process that Ground Effects has developed, dubbed “EK3,“ is a groundbreaking technology. This environmentally sustainable project will help eliminate salt contaminated soils that are generated from the oil and gas industry, dump sites for salt used on winter roads, and municipal salt storage yards. In most cases, these soils are excavated and moved to a local landfill, which only changes the location of the problem, but this technology will enable companies to clean up the soil right on site.

In-situ desalinization uses electrodes to create an electric field that removes the salt content from the soil, so no excavation is required. Ground Effects has worked with the University of Regina and TransGas on researching the value and viability of this technology. After extensive study and testing, the technology is now ready for commercial use.

“As a result of the $250,000 investment from Communities of Tomorrow in the project, we will have the opportunity to tap a multi-billion dollar market, according to an independent study we've commissioned,” says Sean Frisky, President and CEO of Ground Effects Environmental Services.

“CT is a valuable partner in supporting the development and growth of private sector companies,” says Frisky. “Their willingness to be an advocate for us throughout the process was critical to us having the perseverance to pursue public sector funding and partners. Without the proactive support of the CT office and its partners, I know Ground Effects would not have made it to this point on its own.”

Funding for CT is provided in part by the Government of Saskatchewan with $5 million in funding through the Western Economic Partnership Agreement to support business development, marketing, research and development, and commercialization and is cost-matched by Western Economic Development.

“Ground Effects exemplifies the exciting innovation that Saskatchewan companies are capable of and this grant further enables the contributions it makes to our economy,” Industry and Resources Minister Maynard Sonntag said. “The development of salt remediation technology will benefit not only Saskatchewan’s environment, but will also be applied in countries around the world to improve soil and water quality and provide jobs here at home.”

Ground Effects is a multi-national corporation based in Regina that designs and manufactures new technologies to remove contaminates from soil and groundwater sites. To date the company has developed over 70 such technologies and their services have been used by companies around the world, including the United States and Australia.

Check out their website at www.groundeffects.org for more information.