The CMI Green Fund contributes to a university research project.

January 2013 – The CMI Green Fund contributes to the Impacts, au niveau des gaz à effet de serre (GES), de l’amendement des sols avec des biosolides de papetières préalablement enfouis project underway at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, the Chaire en éco-conseil and the Zone d’intervention Prioritaire (ZIP) Saguenay. This is a supplement to the core project entitled Développement durable et gestion des boues de papetières : freins et incitatifs à leur recyclage et valorisation dans un contexte de lutte aux changements climatiques, which is designed to expand scientific knowledge and data on the impact of using pulp and paper sludge as a soil amendment.

Greenhouse Gases (GHG) measurements (CH₄ and N₂O in particular) will be taken before and after pulp and paper sludge are spread on farmland that will be cultivated and monitored throughout the season. The emissions will be compared to those at an adjacent untreated field and to those at the landfill site of the pulp and paper mill that provided the biosolids. The data gathered will be used to directly compare the GHG impact of agricultural recycling of those biosolids as fertilizing residual materials (FRMs) vs. industrial landfilling. The objective is to paint a more complete picture of the issue of gas emissions associated with managing biosolids from pulp and paper mills and using them as agricultural amendments after being stored for different lengths of time.