Results of Assessment of Frederick Street Released

The results of the CANTOX ENVIRONMENTAL Inc. health risk assessment of Frederick Street indicate that there are no long term adverse health effects resulting from the chemicals present in the area. The CANTOX assessment does indicate that dust generated by the coal removal activities may have had an effect on the residents in the short term such as sore eyes and headaches.

CANTOX presented the results of the assessment to the residents in Sydney tonight.

"We used widely accepted scientific procedures for conducting the health risk assessment of Frederick Street," said Christine Moore, vice president, Eastern Region, CANTOX ENVIRONMENTAL Inc. "We would like to thank the residents for their cooperation."

While several residents have reported a variety of health effects such as ear and kidney infections, the CANTOX assessment reported that these ailments are infections which are bacterial or viral and are not typically associated with chemical exposures.

Information gathered from the chemical releases associated with the Frederick Street brook, the seep area and dusting activities related to work on the coke ovens site was all included in the assessment. The data was used for a variety of scenarios in a computer model to examine whether current chemical exposures to people living in the Frederick Street area pose a potential health concern. The blood and hair samples collected by local public health staff were also used in the assessment.

The CANTOX report included a variety of recommendations to help ensure that the public's health continues to be protected. Recommendations include:

• A permanent solution to restrict access to the seep such as a fence.

• Monitor the brook to detect any changes in chemical composition.

• Restrict children from playing in the ash pile.

• Minimize dust during the coal removal work. Ongoing monitoring of the dust levels should take place as well as any areas where off-site migration is taking place.

• Encourage residents specifically living in close proximity to the site to become involved in the proposed remedial action plans for the coke ovens site.

Results of the residents' blood and hair samples were given to the residents yesterday. They indicated that they have not been exposed to lead or arsenic at levels that would be detrimental to their health. The levels of arsenic and lead found are in the same range as those found in normal healthy Canadians.

The results of the CANTOX report will be distributed for review to the interdepartmental government monitoring team chaired by Clifford Huskilson, Minister of Transportation and Public Works.

"CANTOX was asked to do a thorough assessment to either confirm or alleviate the residents concerns about their health," said Dr. Jeff Scott, provincial medical officer of Health. "I am confident in their results."

The CANTOX assessment took into consideration a variety of factors including: identifying the chemicals of potential concern to public health, identifying potential exposures and potential health effects the chemicals pose, as well as, estimating the residents daily exposure to each chemical.

CANTOX was engaged by the provincial and federal departments of health.

CANTOX Environmental Inc. is a scientific consulting firm which specializes in environmental risk management and is one of the leading firms in Canada in the area of human health risk assessment. Staff are highly trained and knowledgeable in the fields of toxicology, human and ecological risk assessment and environmental impact assessment.