Integrating Human Health into Environmental Impact Assessment: Case Studies of Canada’s Northern Mining Resource Sector

Abstract

ABSTRACT. This paper examines the integration of human health considerations into environmental impact assessment (EIA) in the Canadian North. Emphasis is placed on the northern mining sector, where more land has been staked in the past decade than in the previous 50 years combined. Using information from interviews with northern EIA and health practitioners and reviews of selected project documents, we examined three principal mining case studies, northern Saskatchewan uranium mining operations, the Ekati diamond project, and the Voisey's Bay mine/mill project, to determine whether and how health considerations in EIA have evolved and the current nature and scope of health integration. Results suggest that despite the recognized link between environment and health and the number of high-profile megaprojects in Canada's North, human health, particularly social health, has not been given adequate treatment in northern EIA. Health considerations in EIA have typically been limited to physical health impacts triggered directly by project-induced environmental change, while social and other health determinants have been either not considered at all, or limited to those aspects of health and well-being that the project proponent directly controlled, namely employment opportunities and worker health and safety. In recent years, we have been seeing improvements in the scope of health in EIA to reflect a broader range of health determinants, including traditional land use and culture. However, there is still a need to adopt impact mitigation and enhancement measures that are sensitive to northern society, to monitor and follow up actual health impacts after project approval, and to ensure that mitigation and enhancement measures are effective.Key words: health, integration, environmental impact assessment, mining, Canada, North RÉSUMÉ. Dans cet article, on se penche sur l'intégration des considérations en matière de santé humaine dans le cadre de l'évaluation des incidences environnementales dans le Nord canadien. On met l'accent sur le secteur minier du Nord, où plus de terres ont été jalonnées ces dix dernières années que pendant les 50 années précédentes. À la lumière des commentaires obtenus en entrevues avec des spécialistes des évaluations environnementales et de la santé du Nord ainsi que de l'examen de certains documents de projets, on a examiné trois études de cas principales portant sur l'exploitation minière -soit les exploitations d'uranium du nord de la Saskatchewan, le projet de diamants Ekati, et le projet de mine et d'usine de la baie Voisey -afin de déterminer si et comment les considérations en matière de santé dans le cadre de l'évaluation des incidences environnementales ont évolué ainsi que la nature et l'étendue actuelle de l'intégration de la santé. Les résultats indiquent que malgré le lien manifeste entre l'environnement et la santé ainsi que le nombre de mégaprojets de haut calibre entrepris dans le Nord canadien, la santé humaine, et plus particulièrement la santé sociale, n'est pas traitée adé...

Avaliação de Impactos à Saúde (AIS): análises e desafios para a Vigilância em Saúde do Brasil

“…The study identified learning opportunities to move towards a more inclusive approach to health in EIA, as highlighted by Noble and Bronson 14 . Authors say that integrating health into environmental impact assessments requires a number of considerations, such as assessing the effects of projects on health, based on the recognition that human health, well-being and the environment are inseparable.…”

“…Noble and Bronson 14 argue that the inclusion of health impacts in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of projects has received greater attention from health professionals and institutions, including WHO and Health Canada, in recognition of the need and benefits of an approach to health in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) 14 .…”

“…Authors say that integrating health into environmental impact assessments requires a number of considerations, such as assessing the effects of projects on health, based on the recognition that human health, well-being and the environment are inseparable. In this aspect, social and health repercussions should be considered with the same scientific rigor that is given to the biophysical factors during the evaluation of environmental impacts 14 .…”

Incorporating health into environmental assessments in Canada

“…Reports in Canada and worldwide have indicated that health is inconsistently incorporated into EA largely as a consequence of the restriction of health concerns to a small number of direct physical health effects, with limited attention given to indirect effects and social impacts on health (Davies and Sadler, 1997;Bond, 2004;Kwiatkowski, 2004;Bronson, 2005, Noble andBronson, 2006;McCaig, 2006;Bhatia and Wernham, 2008). This is illustrated in a compilation of case studies looking at the inclusion of health in EAs for proposed mining developments in northern Canada (Noble and Bronson, 2005).…”

“…This is illustrated in a compilation of case studies looking at the inclusion of health in EAs for proposed mining developments in northern Canada (Noble and Bronson, 2005). In an EA for the decommissioning of a uranium mine, the primary health focus was on direct and indirect exposures to radiation through contaminated water, whereas other potential indirect health impacts and social factors were not addressed such as the potential for the project to disrupt traditional hunting and land-use patterns (Noble and Bronson, 2005).…”