Sudbury Soils Study Independent Expert Review

Toxicology Excellence for Risk Assessment (TERA) organized and convened independent expert review panels (IERP) to review the human health and ecological risk assessments for the Sudbury Soils Study.  The two risk assessments are part of a larger project generally referred to as the Sudbury Soils Study (http://sudburysoilsstudy.com/).  Sudbury is a nickel mining community in Northern Ontario.  Metals and metalloids from the mining and refining processes have deposited over the soils in the area over many years.  In 2001, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment recommended that a detailed soil study be conducted and human health and ecological risk assessments be prepared.  The two area mining companies, Inco Ltd. and Falconbridge Ltd., partnered with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, the Sudbury & District Health Unit, the City of Greater Sudbury, and the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch of Health Canada to establish and conduct the Sudbury Soils Study and the risk assessments in a public and open process.  A Technical Committee with representatives from the partners oversees the work.  A Public Advisory Committee (PAC) represents the citizens’ interests and works closely with the Technical Committee to provide input on the process.  The human health and ecological risk assessments were prepared by a consortium of consulting firms working together and referred to as the SARA (Sudbury Area Risk Assessment) Group.  The two mining companies provided funding for the study and the IERP reviews.

 

To conduct each expert peer review, TERA assembled a panel of scientists with appropriate scientific expertise.  Prospective panel members were screened for potential conflicts of interest and biases utilizing TERA’s conflict of interest policy and procedures (https://tera.org/Peer/COI.html).  Independent and neutral panels of scientists with appropriate expertise were independently selected by TERA.

 

The human health risk assessment IERP met on September 20-21, 2006 in Sudbury.  The ecological risk assessment IERP met on March 6-7, 2007 in Sudbury.  The evening prior to the start of each IERP meeting, a public briefing was held at College Boreal in Sudbury.  The purpose of the public briefing was to introduce the expert panel members to the community and inform the community about the peer review process.  The ecological and human health risk assessment results will be used to establish Sudbury-specific soil quality guidelines that will provide the basis for determining the need for, and potential scope of, any future risk management activities.  The SARA Group authors and the Technical Committee will consider the panel’s recommendations and revise the risk assessments.  The final assessments will be released to the public. 


Ecological Risk Assessment IERP, March 2007

 

bullet Final Report of the IERP Ecological Risk Assessment Panel

bullet Appendix of the IERP Ecological Risk Assessment Report

bullet Biographical Sketches of Panel Members

bullet March 5th Public Briefing Agenda & Handout

bullet Detailed Charge to Peer Reviewers

bullet Sudbury Soils Study web site

bullet Press release – March 9, 2007

 

 

Human Health Risk Assessment IERP, September 2006

bullet Final Report of the IERP Human Health Risk Assessment Panel

bullet Appendix of IERP Human Health Risk Assessment Final Report

bullet Biographical Sketches of Panel Members 

bullet September 19 Public Briefing Agenda & Handout

bullet Detailed Charge to Peer Reviewers

bullet Sudbury Soils Study web site

bullet Press release – September 22, 2006