Air monitoring in northeastern British Columbia is a step in the right direction, said the author of a new report on how the province's oil and gas industry may be affecting people's health.
"We really don't know what's out there," said Judi Krzyzanowski, whose report says there are higher rates of several illnesses in the region which is home to the province's oil and gas development.
Compared to Vancouver and the northwest of the province, the northeast has higher rates of asthma, lung cancer and respiratory disease, the report published by NRC Research Press said. While there might be other explanations, such as higher rates of cigarette smoking, the diseases are consistent with what you'd expect from exposure to contaminants from the oil and gas industry, it said.
"We don't know enough, and there are higher incidences of these sorts of ailments in northeast B.C.," said Krzyzanowski, an Ontario-based consultant who studied the impacts of oil and gas development on air quality for her PhD in forestry from the University of B.C..
"It deserves some more attention and monitoring of what's ending up in the environment, people's air, water and food," she said.
On June 6 the B.C. government released a report on the first phase of a three phase project responding to health concerns related to the industry in the northeast. At the same time it announced it would begin a three-year "air monitoring and community engagement" project in the region.
The project will begin with air monitoring in two priority rural locations in the South Peace, and a coordinator will be funded to plan the wider network, the announcement said.
Krzyzanowski said she's been advocating for eight years for increased air monitoring and is encouraged by the government's decision. However, much depends on how much monitoring equipment is use and where it is placed, she said.
Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee’s Legislative Bureau Chief in Victoria. Find him on Twitter or reach him here.
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sunshine coast girl
46 weeks ago
I hope the people who spend every breath defending
the oil and gas industry get that they are disposable. The companies care nothing about them. It's all about getting the product out and sold.
Hakuin
46 weeks ago
Guess they will have to
empty the area of pesky non-petroleum workers. Who ARE these damnable peasants anyways? Why aren't they in their urban ghettos where they belong? Their bloody ill-health is an act of terrorism against their betters and they should be dealt with most firmly! Lazy, socialist malingerers the lot of them!
Dan the socialist
46 weeks ago
I hope the people who spend
I hope the people who spend every breath defending
the oil and gas industry get that they are disposable. The companies care nothing about them. It's all about getting the product out and sold.
====
They don't and if you say anything you get attacked or called a commie.
I wonder how long before Big Oil or their political buddies try and refute this dirty little secret? It is the little guy that pays the price not the big wigs in their office or their politico puppets...
Working in the patch is also dirty stinky work in brutal conditions. I did it for a while before I got on at the mill when I was up there and working long hours in -40 was not fun either, especially for only 10 bucks an hour.
yet I met a number of people who were unhappy with conditions but to scared to do anything about it like join a union etc.
Hakuin
46 weeks ago
need a crystal ball?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jun/07/china-cancer-villages-industrial-pollution
RockyRacoon
46 weeks ago
We need to fight against the closing of the environmental centre
in north west ontario a amalgam of 58 lakes. It only costs 2 million a year to operate is world class and their is no other like it in the world. It would be able to determine impact of such contamination for an entire eco-system. Something Harper just can't abide by as he knows the answer before hand tarsands development is hazardous to your health.
RR
J.D. Harris
45 weeks ago
Fight against closing of environmental centre
Strange he'd close that... He was Born in Ontario. He said he's 'from Alberta/the west wants in', but that was just a summer job (with Exxon), and a ploy to get elected. All politicians do that, don't they?
Now he's trying to pull Tax Deductions by Environmental Defence and Suzuki plus others. Wonder why that might happen? 'Meddling in Politics?' Nah, that can't be it. No one meddles with Da Leader do they?