The Experimental Lakes Area between Kenora and Vermilion Bay is hoping this summer will be busier than the past two summers.

Pauline Gerrard is the deputy director and says they have a number of new experiments and their impact on freshwater lakes and rivers.

“It’s going to be a busy science year…we have some really exciting stuff including, hopefully, a new study on quaternary ammonium compounds, which is a suite of compounds that became so commonly used in COVID.”

Gerrard says they will also look at the impact on tire wear on our water ways.

“Quite an interesting study on tire leachate, which is one of the chemicals that used on road tires in your car.  When those wear down, that can end up in the ditches along roads, and we’re trying to figure impacts of that.”

COVID regulations limited the number of scientists that could be out at the ELA and tours of the facility were cancelled.