XTECH

The winter months have brought an adundance of reports to write and review. It may seem all quiet on the front, but behind the lines, we bravely forge onward!

Warm wishes to Grandpa Shane on the arrival of Brody!

The Department of National Defence and Legacy Sites are hosting the annual UXO Forum. The 2009 event, themed "Leveraging Technology to Safeguard the Public" is hosted in Quebec City! Mark your calendar for 11-14 May and check out detailed online information here.

As an active past participant and sponsor, XTECH will be attending the conference and we look forward to participating in the solutions-based dialogue.

Update on Friday, May 29, 2009 by DEnman

Quebec City proved a wonderful host city. The forum itself was well-attended and a hive of activity; much networking and exchange of ideas with government agencies and industry transpired.

The evolution of the UXO Program in Canada continues!

I recently attended the Second International Dialogue on Underwater Munitions. That the conference was held adjacent to Waikiki Beach in Hawaii was an excellent bonus!

A multinational effort aimed at sharing information for the goal of reducing the risk from underwater chemical and conventional munitions, the dialogue included government, academia and industry representatives from Canada, Japan, Norway, Belgium, Poland, Russia, UK, Germany, United States, Philippines, to name a few. The identification, cataloguing and assessment of shallow water, near shore and deep sea sites is evidenced to be of growing global concern.

The dialogue shared concerns about explosive risk, chemical leaching, environmental impacts, food chain impacts. Discussions included remediation options through robotics or manned recovery and explored the concept of leaving in place as a solution in and of itself.  It recognized the challenges of accurately identifying and appropriately assessing individual sites. As stated by keynote speaker, Mr Addison Davies of the United States government, and echoed throughout the conference proceedings, "If you've seen one site - you've seen one site." This acknowledgement debunks a cooker-cutter approach and is an acceptance of the unique attributes at each site with impacts to the planning and implementation of work.

Nearer to home, and parallel to the land based program, Canada's Department of National Defence is making strides in identifying sites resultant from a history of military use - domestic and foreign. Canadian government attendees presented on the DND process for cataloguing and assessing sites, current action plans and overall program goals.

XTECH has been actively involved in the Canadian reduction of risk from underwater munitions:

• CFB Petawawa, Ottawa River, Canada. Located in an ecological sensitive area used for military training, both conventional and chemical munitions solutions were required while adhering to environmental restrictions. XTECH was responsible for the project management, underwater surveys, clearance and disposals, GPS and GIS; unique approaches were specifically developed and implemented for the successful completion of this site.
• Former CFB Calgary, Elbow River, Canada. The Elbow River forms part of the watershed for the Rocky Mountains and contributes to the drinking water of the City of Calgary, Alberta; the project area falls within First Nation lands.  Working closely with Department of Fisheries and Oceans in this unique and valuable ecosystem, XTECH performed the following tasks: underwater surveys operations to catalogue contamination levels; quality assurance and oversight of survey and clearance activities; continued liaison with DFO from inception to completion including development of permit.
• Risk audits of deep sea offshore sites on the East Coast and St Lawrence River complete with historical research, assessments and recommendations.

Update on Tuesday, March 17, 2009 by DEnman

A little friendly competition:

The Canadian UXO industry has evolved with a strong sense of pride and strong commitment to quality results. XTECH has long been in a friendly rivalry with NOTRA - and the Hawaiian conference created an opportunity to continue that professional relationship. We also had opportunity for a friendly afternoon out ... and a race to the top of the crater!

Wolfgang and I pose at the top of the lookout, overlooking Honolulu.



UXO Forum 2004, St Louis

For several years, XTECH was the sole Canadian member of the National Association of Ordnance and Explosive Waste Contractors in the USA. Within the past year, we have been liaising with the NAOC and other Canadian UXO firms to gain broader representation within the NAOC. In December, the NAOC membership voted in support of an International Committee to address member needs beyond the boundaries of the United States; the Canadian Subcommittee will be specific to ... you guessed it ... Canada.

I am honoured to announce that XTECH has been requested to act as Chair during the formation of this new committee and I have accepted this position. I am pleased to be working with other individuals within the NAOC who share similar values and goals for results oriented action!