UNBC Professor receives federal funding for oil spill response research

The federal government is supplying a UNBC professor with funding to advance his research into marine oil spill response.

“Our lab has been developing and testing improved oil/water separation and wastewater disposal technologies under different spill conditions,” said Dr. Jianbing Li, an Engineering Professor at UNBC.

Li’s project is receiving $830,000 over four years from the Government of Canada’s Multi-Partner Research Initiative through the Ocean Protection Plan.

“This funding will greatly help us to advance our oil spill response solution through technological innovation and multi-partner collaboration.”

Li’s research is focused on developing innovative methods for separating oil from water using equipment which can be placed on a vessel at sea, so the decontamination can take place entirely on site.

If successful, it will allow for clean water to be released back into the ocean, while minimizing the environmental impact of oil spills and ensuring a more sustainable and cost-effective approach to cleaning up marine ecosystems.

“The results of Dr. Li’s innovative research will help protect Canada’s environment and coastal communities and sets an example for oil spill response worldwide,” said UNBC President Dr. Geoff Payne.

“Support from the federal government will allow UNBC to continue to leverage its environmental engineering expertise to mobilize knowledge for local and global change.”

The funding will also support the mentorship of the next generation of environmental scientists and engineers and oil spill response professionals by providing training opportunities for a diverse group of scientific trainees, ranging from post-doctoral researchers and PhD candidates to graduate students and senior undergraduate researchers.