Community Comittee on the Sudbury Soils Study / Comité communautaire de l’étude des sols de Sudbury Home     Media Release on Vale Inco Application for an Alternative Standard

Le Comité communautaire de l’étude des sols de Sudbury soyez venu ensemble en 2008 en raison du public soucis avec processus et résultats de l'étude de sols de Sudbury Risque pour la santé humaine Évaluation. The Community Committee on the Sudbury Soils Study came together in 2008 as a  result of public concerns with the process and findings of the Sudbury Soils Study Human Health Risk Assessment.

Ontario Regulation 419/05: Air Pollution – Local Air Quality includes a risk-based process for altered standards to address implementation issues related to new standards and/or the implementation of new air dispersion models. Implementation barriers may include technical, economic or time-related issues. On October 31st, 2008, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE) received a request from Vale Inco to consider an alteration to the nickel in air standard under Ontario Regulation 419/05, which comes into effect for the facility on Feb 1st, 2010.  For an Altered Standard to be considered, the facility must demonstrate that it is doing the best that can be done to reduce concentrations with a goal of continual improvement towards meeting the standard over time.  As part of this request, Vale Inco hosted a public meeting on October 23rd, 2008 to inform the local community about the request.

On December 11th, 2008, the MOE posted the proposed request for the altered standard on the Environmental Bill of Rights Registry (EBR) for public comment (EBR Registry Number 010-5356).  Interested parties can submit comments until April 10th, 2009.  Comments may be submitted electronically at www.ebr.gov.on.ca by searching for the above noted EBR Registry Number and selecting the “Submit Comment” button, or in writing to the Ministry contacts listed on the posting.

Due to the interest expressed by the community at the October public meeting, the Ministry has organized a follow up meeting with the local community in which you will have an opportunity to learn more about the Alteration of Standards process and the framework for the Ministry’s review of the Request that was recently submitted by Vale Inco.    Public comments will be considered during the Ministry’s review.   The Ministry is also willing to host further public consultation meetings over the next year at specific milestones during the review process.  The purpose of these meetings would be to ensure that the local community is involved in the Ministry’s review to the extent possible, and is kept informed of the status.

You are receiving this invitation to attend the public meeting either because of your attendance at the meeting hosted by Vale Inco in October; your previous participation in local environmental groups in the Greater Sudbury Area; or your involvement in other similar interested associations.

The public meeting on Vale Inco’s Request for an Alteration to the nickel in air standard will be as follows:

Date and Time:         Wednesday January 21st, 2009, 7:00 pm
Location:                    Room C-11, Tom Davies Square, 200 Brady Street, City of Greater Sudbury.

People attending can park in the underground lot at the City.  Parking is free after 6:00 pm.

­We look forward to your participation in the meeting and to receiving your written comments.

If you have any additional questions, please contact the following MOE staff:

Abby Salb, Standards Development Branch, MOE
(416) 235-6566, abby.salb@ontario.ca

Cathy Grant, Standards Development Branch, MOE
(416) 327-6600, cathy.grant@ontario.ca

Ron Paolin, MOE Sudbury District Office
(705) 564-3212, ron.paolin@ontario.ca