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FEATURED PROJECTS & INITIATIVES
Environmental Risk Assessment of the Proposed Vale Inco Nickel Processing Facility at Long Harbour, Newfoundland (2006 – 2008)
Intrinsik conducted a detailed ecological and human health risk assessment of the emissions and discharges from the proposed Vale Inco nickel processing facility in Long Harbour, Newfoundland. Two potential types of facilities were assessed: Matte plant and Hydromet Plant. The ecological risk assessment component of the assessment involved evaluations of potential risk to freshwater pelagic and benthic aquatic organisms (in area lakes, streams and ponds), marine pelagic and benthic aquatic organisms in the area of proposed effluent discharge, and terrestrial wildlife in areas predicted to experience atmospheric deposition of air emissions from both the Matte and Hydromet facility types. Mammalian and avian wildlife receptors that were evaluated included the masked shrew, snowshoe hare, red fox, American robin, river otter, Great cormorant, bald eagle, and black duck. Terrestrial plants and soil-dwelling invertebrates were also evaluated.
The human health risk assessment component evaluated possible risks to humans living in the local communities of Long Harbour and Mount Arlington Heights as well as people that may spend time at camps or cabins located nearer to the proposed facility. A range of human receptors (reflecting different life stages) were assessed under these scenarios. A large number of exposure pathways were evaluated for each human receptor, including: |
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- Outdoor/indoor soil and dust ingestion;
- Dermal contact with outdoor/indoor soil and dust;
- Outdoor/indoor soil and dust inhalation;
- Inhalation of outdoor/indoor air;
- Game animal ingestion (duck, hare);
- Ingestion of local finfish (flounder, trout);
- Ingestion of local shellfish (mussels);
- Ingestion of local home grown produce(root vegetables, above ground vegetables, fruits);
- Ingestion of local wild berries;
- Ingestion of grocery store foods (market basket); and,
- Ingestion of local drinking water.
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In both the ecological and human health risk assessments, baseline, predicted future conditions and background scenarios were quantitatively evaluated, for both types of proposed facility.
The ecological and human health risk assessments were critical studies towards obtaining regulatory approval for the Project (under both the Provincial and federal Environmental Assessment processes), and will be important in the development of the environmental monitoring programs for the facility. |
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