APPENDIX B

Summary Record of Presentations to the IJC's Health Professionals Task Force at its Public Meeting in Vancouver, September 20, 2002

1. Gerry Scott, Director, Climate Change Campaign, David Suzuki Foundation., Vanvouver, B.C.

• Tranboundary air issues require a co-ordinated approach.
• In light of the Prime Minister's commitments regarding Kyoto ratification and implementation we believe that the IJC should consider the new situation, and new opportunities to examine relationships between energy policy, air quality, public health and climate change issues on both sides of the border.
• IJC should utilize the authority granted under Article IX of the 1909 Treaty to examine common airshed issues in the BC-Pacfic Northwest region.
• Under the IJC examination we propose, health and environmental impacts associated with Sumas 2 and all other relevant pollution sources could be scrutinized in a more comprehensive manner than is the case with current regulatory processes in either nation.
• As global warming continues, increased temperatures will worsen smog formation and increase the additional impacts of heat stress. It is critical that both of these health threats become a priority for IJC consideration.

2. Patricia Ross, Councillor, City of Abbotsford, B.C.

• To outline the issue Ms. Ross commented on the following four points:
  • Sumas Energy 2 which has just been approved by Washington State still needs approval from the National Energy Board of Canada because they want to tie into our power transmission line grid and construct 230,000 volt power lines through a business and residential area of Abbotsford, B.C.
  • The need for recognition of the Fraser Valley and B.C. in the Canada/U.S. Air Quality Agreement
  • Major natural gas pipeline expansion projects and the review processes fail to provide meaningful protection of the environment
  • The need for energy policy that encourages alternative energy and considers full impact of NAFTA

3. Olga Schwartzkoff, Soil & Water Conservation Society, Vancouver, B.C.

• Ms. Schwartzoff presented on behalf of Anna Tilman, STORM Coalition, Ontario
• Would like to bring concerns about releases of thallium and mercury from Teck-Cominco over the last few years.
• Thallium is a highly toxic substance and there have been at least two cases of worker exposure. To date, thallium is not listed on the NPRI.
• Second concern that has emerged is the high increase of mercury(primarily air) as reported on the NPRI for 2001. These releases total 690kg (670 to air), whereas in the previous year, releases were report to be about 170kg.
• Hope this information is helpful to the IJC.

4. H.J. Saaltink, Central Valley Naturalists, Abbotsford B.C.

• The lower Fraser Valley is one of the regions in Western Canada where air quality has become a major public issue. The region has one of the worst air quality records in Canada and available health records clearly show the resulting impact on public health.
• The region is now threatened by further deterioration of air quality caused by the anticipated rapid increase of domestic and industrial consumption of natural gas for heating and power generation.
• For residents of the Fraser Valley and Whatcom County an immediate concern is the proposed construction of SE2 that will exacerbate existing air quality problems and will have a significant impact on public health in the Lower Fraser Valley on both sides of the international border, unless protection is provided.
• At present the people in the Fraser Valley are frustrated because there are no mechanisms to deal adequately with their concerns. While it will clearly be necessary to use the political process to exert pressure on each of the governments involved to initiate appropriate action, the International Joint Commission can be of great help to create the political will to act and, perhaps, to become part of the solution.

5. John Irwin, Society Promoting Environmental Conservation, Vancouver, B.C.

• SPEC is requesting the Health Professionals Task Force to:
  • Ask the International Air Quality Advisory Board to immediately undertake a comprehensive review of the impacts of SE2 on the environment and health of residents of BC's Lower Fraser Valley; and
  • Relay to members of the International Joint Commission, to Prime Minister Jean Chretien and Environment Minister David Anderson, concerns raised by British Columbians about the potential impacts of SE2.

6.Christianne Wilhelmson, Georgia Strait Alliance

• Spoke on the matter of the Capital Regional District (CRD)of Vancouver and the Greater Vancouver Regional District's (GVRD) Liquid Waste Management Plans.
• As this issues has a direct impact on people and wildlife on both sides of the border, we ask that the IJC and its Health Professionals Task Force:
  • bring pressure to bear on the Canadian federal government to enforce existing laws regarding pollution of the marine and aquatic environment (in particular the federal Fisheries Act, which makes it illegal to deposit deleterious substances into waters frequented by fish.)
  • bring pressure to bear on the British Columbia government to enforce existing laws regarding pollution of the marine and aquatic environment and lay charges against municipalities that are out of compliance with their waster management permits
  • bring pressure to bear on Canadian and British Columbia to commit the necessary funds to upgrade the GVRD and CRD to secondary treatment for all their waterwater discharges
  • urge the GVRD and the CRD to develop progressive plans that include a rapid timeline to upgrade to at least secondary treatment for all of their wastewater, in order to significantly lower the amounts of contaminants being discharged.

7. Dr. David V. Bates, University of British Columbia, British Columbia Medical Assoc.

• Startups of the proposed plant were not adequately addressed by the EFSEC. This will likely result in substantial additional short-term increases in nitrogen oxide emissions, which have the potential to impact the nearby residents of Abbotsford, B.C.
• The B.C. Medical Association is asking the Canadian Medical Association to request the Federal government review the standard for NO _x [1 hour exposure].
• NO _x is being reviewed by several governments and international agencies. The WHO standard and Austrialian is 200mg/cubic metre whereas Canada's is 400mg per cubic metre
• One-third of the NOx is coming from ship emissions in the Vancouver area. The IAQAB needs to keep an eye on the negotiations
• With respect to development the Lower Fraser Valley the U.S. and Canada must engage in joint planning.

8. Mitt Bowling, Citizen

• complained that he can no longer see the top of Mt. Baker from his home due to the high levels of smog in the area.
• encourage the HPTF to do whatever it can to help reduce the levels of air pollution in the area.

9. Francine Roulston, Sto:lo Nation

• Oppose SE2 because:
  • the prevailing winds will blow almost 3 tons of air pollution from the SE2 plant a day into the Fraser Valley. Its will add 2.4 million tons of carbon dioxide to the earth's atmosphere
  • the toxins produced by SE2 will have a negative effect on agricultural production in the Fraser Valley
  • the proposed SE2 will be built on a flood plain and is also earthquake fault line.
  • the amount of water needed per day will delete the aquifer in dry years.

In addition to the above oral presentations, the following organizations submitted written materials to the Health Professional Task Force which have also been reviewed in preparing this material. All of the material is available electronically in PDF format upon request.

• Society Prompting Environmental Conservation



• David Suzuki Foundation; Finding Solutions



• Sierra Legal Defense Fund; Health Impacts of Trans-boundary Air Pollution



• Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE)



• Harald Tilgner, Chilliwack, BC



• Hendrik J. Saalting, P. Eng; Emerging health problems in border regions



• Patricia Ross, Councillor, City of Abbotsford
  • Abbotsford Downtown Business Association; Beautiful Fraser Valley
  • Greater Vancouver Regional District; George Puil, Chair
  • Greater Vancouver Regional District; Ali Ergunler, Senior Project Engineer, Regional Development
  • Testimony of David Bates; Before the State of Washington Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council
  • Testimony of Robert B. Caton; Before the State of Washington Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council



• Anna Tilman, Chair STORM Coalition; Thallium, Heavy Toxic Metal



• Greater Vancouver Regional District; Ken Cameron, Manager, Policy & Planning



• Francine Roulston; STO:LO Nation; Opposition on Sumas Energy, Inc.



• W. Driedger; Citizens Against SE2 Group



• Christianne Wihelmson, Georgia Strait Alliance



• Borden Ladner and Gervais, Solicitors for Sumas Energy 2. Submission (N.B. responding on behalf of SE2 to the various submissions received by the HPTF at its public meeting and shortly thereafter.