A mainstay in Quebec since 1985, ALTRA | SANEXEN has pioneered and provided environmental solutions to industrial, municipal and governmental customers and partners.
ALTRA | SANEXEN, a member of the LOGISTEC family key business lines—including Flexible Fluid Transport Solutions, Industrial Effluents Treatment, Lead Free Solutions, PFAS Removal Solutions, and Water Main Renewal—delivers creative and customized solutions through expert environmental engineers and scientists. A combination of in-house research and development teams explore and implement new technologies to address the ever-evolving environmental issues the world faces today.
Over its 38 years in business, the Company completed over 7,000 site remediation projects, generating over CA$2 billion in revenue, treated and/or disposed of up to 23 million tons of impacted soils, and treated more than 3 billion gallons of heavily contaminated wastewater, using both our proprietary and other conventional water treatment technologies and approaches.
“ALTRA | SANEXEN’s founding team’s mission back then, which still remains to this day, was to build and share their expertise, in order to contribute to the success of their clients and communities. They wanted to find solutions to protect and renew our environment and water resources,” says Marie-Chantal Savoy, Vice President, Strategy and Communications.
With over 750 employees across Canada and the US. ALTRA | SANEXEN operates in two main sectors: specialized environmental services and water solutions.
“Our environmental services include site remediation, industrial degraded sites management, risk assessment, dredging and dewatering, and biosolids management,” says Savoy. “Our water solutions are PFAS removal solutions, water main renewal, lead free solutions and flexible fluid transport solutions.”
INNOVATION
ALTRA | SANEXEN has been a leading provider of environmental solutions for the past 38 years. “Our environmental engineers and scientists, combined with our in-house innovation (research and development) team, have implemented new technologies to address the ever-evolving environmental issues the world faces today and carved out a reputation as some of the most innovative environmental experts in North America,” says Savoy.
ALTRA’s PFAS Solution is another innovation that has received increased attention in the last two years. The proprietary foam fractionation technology, combined with high-performing modular units operating in continuous mode, allow to treat large volumes of water heavily contaminated with PFAS, the “forever chemical”.
With over 7,000 projects realized, ALTRA | SANEXEN has completed an array of very complex environmental projects. After the historic 2013 Lac Mégantic rail disaster, the team worked closely on the ground to decontaminate water from the contaminants present in firefighting foam and started working with McGill University and University of Montréal, who are now world leaders in analytical PFAS chemistry.
“Our partnership over the years has delivered solid results to combat today’s most critical challenge, PFAS. In the last 18 months, our team has analyzed more than 10,000 samples using the new EPA methods,” says Savoy, adding proudly, “All of this is happening here in Montréal.”
ENVIRONMENTAL REHABILITATION OF THE FORMER RAYROCK MINE
In January 2023, ALTRA | SANEXEN was awarded the major environmental remediation project of the former Rayrock mine in Northern Canada.
The former mine is located around 60 km northeast of Whatì, an aboriginal community right at the center of the Northwest Territories. The mine only operated from 1957 to 1959, but had lasting effects on the land and people. Preliminary cleanup works took place in the 1990s, but more contamination problems have since come to light.
The impacts of the mine on the surrounding land—and the local community—have been felt for generations. This project will allow the indigenous Tlicho people to return to the land. ALTRA | SANEXEN will be in charge of the extensive cleanup of the former Rayrock uranium mine and its surroundings, which include lakes and beautiful natural habitats.
“The major environmental remediation project of the former Rayrock mine in Northern Canada is one of ALTRA | SANEXEN’s largest site remediation project to date,” says Savoy. “The extensive cleanup includes the areas of the former uranium mine and its surroundings, which include lakes and beautiful natural habitats.”
The process of addressing Rayrock’s contamination is being done in collaboration between the Tlicho and Federal Governments. The remediation work will help make the site safe, shrink the “avoidance area” – the zone around the Rayrock mine that Tlicho people currently avoid – and involve the local community in all aspects, from employment to communications.
The cleanup project will also tackle former satellite exploration sites around Rayrock, an old barge landing at Marian Lake, and a disused power line between Rayrock and the Snare hydro facility at Big Spruce Lake.
“This is another major environmental project for ALTRA | SANEXEN and are we extremely proud to be contributing directly to a more sustainable future for Canada,” says Savoy. “And more importantly, our people’s know-how and expertise in the field is being recognized directly by communities. Kwetı̨ı̨ɂaà (Rayrock) is an important area to the next generation of the Tłı̨chǫ people and the process of addressing its contaminations will provide lasting benefits. Our number one priority of the Kwetı̨ı̨ɂaà remediation project is to make the area safe again for the community.”
The project is done in complete collaboration between the Tlicho, the Federal Governments and our team. The remediation involves the local community in all aspects, from employment to communications. Indigenous knowledge and local traditional values are guiding the cleanup work and most of all, the long-term vision for the site and surrounding lands and water. This collaborative approach will be a model for other projects to follow.
Says Savoy, “There has never been a more important time for ALTRA | SANEXEN solutions in the marketplace. Our team prides themselves on building and sharing their expertise in order to contribute to the success of our customers and communities, and is dedicated to finding the best solutions that protect our environment and our water resources.”
For more information, please visit www.altragroup.com
