The Sudbury Soil Study results are in and the news is good.
After $10 million and almost seven years, the multi-stakeholder team steering the most comprehensive study in Canada for evaluating the human and ecological risks associated with six chemicals of concern, including nickel and lead, released their second report Tuesday at Science North.
Vale Inco paid $7 million and Xstrata contributed $3 million based on the size of their respective mining operations.
City leaders were pleased with the results.
“I can say to citizens this city is safe to live in. I have lived here since 1962, in Coniston, now Hanmer and I intend to live the rest of my days right here,” said Mayor John Rodriguez.
“It (the study) has been very transparent. The community has been present. The unions have been at the table. The citizens had a voice at the table. Franco Mariotti, (the independent process observer) protected their interests. Then it was peer reviewed. There are 14,000 samples sitting in a warehouse. It is the most extensive soils study done in North America,” said Rodriguez.
“I accept these results. I support the study,” said Sudbury and District Medical Officer of Health, Doctor Penny Sutcliffe.
“Rarely has a community been subject to such scientific scrutiny. The bottom line is this study is good news for our community,” she said.
Sutcliffe said there were localized areas of concern with lead and nickel.
“Property owners who had higher levels of lead and nickel were identified and contacted by our officials in 2005 and given recommendations on how to reduce their risk for children or pregnant women. We will do another follow up with them and embark on a community wide education campaign,” she said.
Elevated nickel emissions were linked to dust blowing from Vale sites in Copper Cliff. Both major mining companies are undertaking to reduce their emissions of chemicals of concern.
Fred Stanford, president, Vale Inco, Ontario operations, said the report is “good news for all of us.”
He said Vale is committed to lowering dust emissions by erecting wind barriers, paving roads, continuing the $4.5 million re-greening of the Big Nickel Road area, increasing the number of air monitors, and capturing more dust from new technology, such as the Fluid Bed Roasting process.
Mike Romaniuk, vice president, Xstrata, Sudbury operations, said his company will actively support the findings and continue their own site reclamation work, planting 60,000-100,000 trees annually, thoroughly inspecting equipment, such as baghouses, using dust suppressants on roads and investing hundreds of millions of dollars into new smelter technology.
Mariotti said though the mining companies funded the study and were represented on the technical advisory committee, he never saw any undue influence from them.
It was the Ontario Ministry of the Environment that was the cause for the delay, said Mariotti, though there was a call for more studies than expected.
“The senior MOE officials never put enough person power, toxicologists, into the process to comment on draft reports. That was the cause for at least one year of delays,” said Mariotti.
Residents can still view the results at an open house Wednesday at the Italian Club in Cooper Cliff, 7 Craig Street and Thursday at the Recreation Centre in Falconbridge, 3-8 p.m. Briefings take place at 3:30 and 7 p.m. Copies of the full report are available at all library branches and post-secondary institutions.
The following was reported by Chris Wren, director of the SARA group of consultants responsible for the study:
-Based on current conditions in the Sudbury area, the study predicted little risk of health effects on Sudbury residents associated with metals in the environment.
-There were no unacceptable health risks predicted for exposure to four of the six chemicals of concern studied: arsenic, copper, cobalt and selenium.
-The risk calculated for typical exposures to lead in the environment throughout the Greater Sudbury area are within acceptable benchmarks for protection of human health. However, levels of lead in some samples indicate a potential risk of health effects for young children in Copper Cliff, Coniston, Falconbridge and Sudbury Centre. But levels of lead in soil and dust in Sudbury are similar to levels in other older urban communities in Ontario.
-The study calculated a minimal risk of respiratory inflammation from lifetime exposures (70 years) to airborne nickel in two areas: Copper Cliff and the western portion of Sudbury Centre. Respiratory inflammation has been linked to the promotion of respiratory cancer caused by other agents. But it is unlikely any additional respiratory cancers will result from nickel exposure over the 70-year lifespan considered in the risk assessment.
-Anglers, hunters and First Nations people who may consume more local fish and wild game are at no risk of health effects due to metals in the environment than the general population.
Nine property owners in Copper Cliff, Coniston, Falconbridge and the city core had levels of lead above 400 parts per million. Some areas in Copper Cliff and the city's west end showed nickel readings above a regulated benchmark.
The Sudbury and District Health Unit has facts sheets on what homeowners can do to reduce exposure. Most people face exposure from ingesting water and food.
Tips for gardeners include building contained planters, placing a plastic sheet between original soil and new uncontaminated soil, and growing fruity crops such as tomatoes, berries, apples and cucumbers, as opposed to root and tuber crops. All crops should be cleaned before eating.
Keep children away from soil and store gardening tools outside in a shed instead of living areas. Phone 522-9200 for more information.
