Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association presents first set of industry awards

The Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association (NEIA) handed out its first ever Environmental Industry Awards this week.

The awards program was implemented in an effort to recognize businesses and individuals who are developing clean technologies and growing the green economy in the province.

Taking home the Cleantech Innovation Award, recognizing achievement in research and development, commercialization, and/or refinement of products, services, or processes that can mitigate effects to, protect, or enhance the environment was presented to Intelligent Materials and Monitoring, a clean technology company spin-off from Memorial University that commercializes a synthetic polymer material that can selectively absorb certain chemicals like environmental contaminants, with the first application being a portable water sampling analysis consumable. 

Anaconda Mining, meanwhile, was the recipient of the Business Excellence Award, which recognizes a significant initiative, project, or achievement of a business engaged in Newfoundland and Labrador’s green economy. The gold mining company claimed the honour for taking a different approach with the excess rock produced from its mining operations, displacing 3.5 million tonnes of what would normally be waste and transforming that into new revenues and jobs for the region.

The Environmental Industry Champion Award, recognizing the contribution of an individual to the growth of the province’s environmental industry, was won by environmental management practitioner and entrepreneur Leslie Grattan.

“Leslie’s contributions throughout her career — whether that be in her capacity as a regulator, decision-maker, practitioner, business owner, or volunteer – have been significant and will leave a lasting impact on this province’s green economy,” NEIA executive director Kieran Hanley stated in a release.