Assessing Effects on Human Assessing Effects on Human Health Health Meadowbank Gold Project Meadowbank Gold Project Margaux Brisco Margaux Brisco Nunavut Impact Review Board Final Hearings, Nunavut Impact Review Board Final Hearings, Baker Lake, Nunavut Baker Lake, Nunavut March 27 to 31, 2006 March 27 to 31, 2006
18
Embed
Assessing Effects on Human Health Meadowbank Gold Project Margaux Brisco Nunavut Impact Review Board Final Hearings, Baker Lake, Nunavut March 27 to 31,
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Assessing Effects on Human HealthAssessing Effects on Human Health Meadowbank Gold ProjectMeadowbank Gold Project
Margaux BriscoMargaux Brisco
Nunavut Impact Review Board Final Hearings, Nunavut Impact Review Board Final Hearings, Baker Lake, NunavutBaker Lake, NunavutMarch 27 to 31, 2006March 27 to 31, 2006
2
Nunavut Land Claim Agreement
• Requires a consideration of environmental and socio-economic effects
3
Health Canada
• Expert information and knowledge about human health
• Promotes a holistic definition of human health:
-complete physical, mental and social well-being-not only the absence of disease or infirmity.
4
Health Canada’s Review of the Meadowbank Gold Project
– Air Quality– Drinking Water Quality– Noise– Country Foods– Socio-economic– Occupational Health & Safety Plan
5
Air Quality• Issues:
- Dust-construction-road traffic-mine operations
- Emissions from burning fuel-trucks-machinery-power plant
6
Air Quality
• Health Canada’s initial comments have been addressed
• No indication of concern for human health
• We encourage monitoring
7
Drinking Water Quality
• Issues: - Dike construction (construction phase)
- Discharge to lakes (operational phase)
- Reflooding of mine pits (decommissioning)
8
Drinking Water Quality
• Predicted maximum values for Third Portage Lake are not expected to have any health effects.
• Monitoring will indicate if drinking water guidelines are exceeded.
9
Noise
• Issues:
- Construction
- Mine operations
-blasting, crushing, drilling…
- Road traffic
10
Noise
• Potential for sleep disturbance at workers’ quarters
• World Health Organization’s Community Noise Guidelines
11
Noise
• Possibility of summer camps near the mine site
• Recommendation: noise at the camp sites should also be monitored
12
Country Foods
• Fish
• Mammals
• Birds
13
Country Foods
• Issues:
- Changes to bodies of water
-dikes
-reflooding
14
Country Foods
• Monitoring of foods recommended -Arctic char
• A baseline should be collected to verify predictions
15
Socio-Economics
• Issues: - Rotational Employment
- Housing
- Community Wellness
- Public Health & Safety
- Effects of Closure
16
Socio-Economics
• Concerns have been addressed
• It is acknowledged that there is potential for some negative effects
• Mitigation and management are important
17
Occupational Health & Safety Plan
• Health Canada recommends that a nurse be hired at the mine site.
-To meet workers’ needs
–Accidents–Infectious disease
-To prevent pressure on health services in Baker Lake
18
References
• Canadian Handbook on Health Impact Assessmenthttp://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/pubs/eval/index_e.html• Determinants of Health website:www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ph-sp/phdd/determinants/index.html• Health Canada website:www.hc-sc.gc.ca• Environmental Health Assessment Services website:www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ehas