john@yunccn.UUCP (John Hummel) (10/14/88)
Path: yunccn!john
From: john@yunccn.UUCP (John Hummel)
Newsgroups: nccn.services
Subject: PCB Pollution and Native Communities: Sources of Information &
Contacts
Keywords: PCB's Pollution Health Environment
Message-ID: <519@yunccn.UUCP>
Date: 7 Oct 88 05:00:43 GMT
Distribution: ont
Organization: York University, Toronto Canada
Lines: 263
Greetings to NCCN members and to the world! Here is the information
on PCB pollution I promised in my last major broadcast.
I am sending this information on PCB pollution because PCB's are be-
ing found in the blood of people living in Native communities in Ontario.
Hopefully this information will be helpful in locating the sources of
PCB's and eliminating them from the environment. It may also be useful
for locating various pollution "Hot Spots" near Native communities in
Ontario.
What are PCB's? Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB's) are man made che-
micals which have been "widely used in insulation for electric conden-
sers, transformers and as additives for extreme pressure lubricants,
plasticizers, adhesives, paints, etc." (A Study of PCB Blood Levels in
Ontario Reserve Indians).
"PCB's are of human health concern because of two types of effects
which have been identified in scientific studies. PCB's are considered
to be cancer causing and have been shown to affect normal fertility,
pregnancy,birth and development of offspring when tested on laboratory
animals." (Guide To Eating Ontario Sport Fish, 1987)
American researchers found that mothers who ate lake fish that were
contaminated with low levels of PCB's gave birth to babies that had
smaller heads and weigh less than normal babies. The babies that were
more heavily exposed often had behavioral problems described as
"worrisome". In the study just mentioned, researchers weren't absolutely
certain which chemical or combination of chemicals was effecting the
infants because the fish had other chemicals besides PCB's in them
also!
Scientists disagree on what amounts of PCB's are harmful to humans.
What ever they eventualy decide; any pollutant which might be causing
babies to be born with smaller heads and lower weights than normal
babies definetly doesn't belong in peoples bodies!!
On November 10th, 1987 Health and Welfare Canada released a document
called: "A Study of PCB Blood Levels in Ontario Reserve Indians". This
study analyzed the blood of 601 people from 14 different Native commun-
ities in Ontario. More than half of those tested had detectable levels
of PCB's in their blood. At some communities,like Big Trout Lake, levels
"were significantly higher than in other communities and in zone indiv-
iduals exceeded the limits of PCB acceptability as defined by Health and
Welfare Canada."
Where are the PCB's comming from? Well--they aren't exactly sure. How
are PCB's getting into the people? They aren't exactly sure of that ei-
ther. Some scientists have made some guesses e.g. maybe it comes down
with the rain or perhaps oil (contaminated with PCB's) was sprayed on
the roads. Nobody really knows yet.
My own personal research on the matter has revealed several other
possible sources. While the following information might not reveal
"the" sources; it may give some useful clues. It is definetly worth
checking out!
Here's what I found: 1) A July 1986 Ontario Ministry of the Environment
report called: "Trace Contaminants in Pulp and Paper Mill Effluents" found
very high levels of PCB's in paper industry efluents in Thunder Bay,
Nipigon Bay, Dryden and Marathon. In the case of Great Lakes Forest Pro-
ducts in Dryden, plant intake was PCB polluted but concentrated prior to
discharge! In other areas PCB's seemed to be being discharged by the
industries.
So, if they are "concentrated prior to discharge" at the Dryden mill
then it means that there is some PCB source upstream from the mill.
Perhaps it is a leaking dump site or PCB storage site or maybe some
kind of municipal efluent from the town of Dryden?
2) I obtained a document called "Ontario Ministry of the Environment
Waste Disposal Site Inventory". This document lists all the known toxic
waste dump sites in Ontario. It gives a map reference for each dump site,
a general idea of how hazardous it is, the date it closed (if it shut
down) and lots of other useful information and maps.
Sure enough, there was a dump site called Contact Bay listed. There is
a water body called Contact Bay upstream from the pulp and paper mill at
Dryden! Is there a link? I don't know yet but it is definetly worth
investigating!
This document would also be extremely useful to find out exactly where
these hazardous dumps are in relation to Native communities. Once they
are located, it could then be discovered exactly what is contained in
them and if the substances are dangerous to people or to the environment.
The next step would be to see if they are leaking and if there are any
communities that might be effected by such a leak. Clean-up operations
could then be launched where required.
3) Another place to look for PCB's is at the PCB storage sites in Ont-
ario. There are 988 known PCB storage sites in the province. 308 of these
sites are clasified as major and contain 1,000 litres or more of PCB
liquid waste. All of these sites are listed in a document called "Ontario
Inventory of Approved PCB Storage Sites" released in September 1988. This
document gives exact site locations, addresses, company names and indicates
wether it is a major or minor storage facility. Big Trout Lake is
mentioned and some of the other sites listed may be in the vacinity of
other Native communities or their traditional lands.
4) Another document I found useful was called: "Guide to Eating Ontario
Sport Fish". This document lists many of the lakes in Ontario and, for
each lake listed, it explains which fish have pollution in them and says
if they can be eaten or not. This document also gives lists of what
pollutants the fish were tested for e.g. at Clay Lake (downstream from
the paper mill at Dryden) tests looking for PCB's, mercury, mirex and
pesticides were done on several species of fish. The fish should not
be eaten because of the pollution.
Well--I hope this information is of use to you. Here is a list of the
sources of information I mentioned and places where you can get them.
Also, here is an extensive list of useful contact people for you.
DOCUMENTS
---------
1) "A Study of PCB Blood Levels in Ontario Reserve Indians" - Final
Draft, November 10,1987
By: Health and Welfare Canada, Medical Services Branch, Ontario
Region
To obtain a copy of this document write or telephone: Health and Welfare
Canada, Medical Services Branch, Jeanne Mance Bldg., de l'Eglantine St.,
Ottawa, Ontario Canada K1A 0L3
Telephone: (613) 957-7702 or (416) 965-3101
2) a) "Trace Contaminants in Pulp and Paper Mill Effluents"-July 1986
By: Ontario Ministry of the Environment
b) "Ontario Inventory of Approved PCB Storage Sites"-September 1988
By: Ontario Ministry of the Environment
c) "Ontario Ministry of the Environment Waste Disposal Site Inventory
Revised 1988"#246
By: Ontario Ministry of the Environment
d) "Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish"
By: Ontario Ministry of the Environment & Ontario Ministry of
Natural Resources
To obtain these four documents write or telephone: Public Information
Centre, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, 135 St.Claire Ave.West,
1st Floor, Toronto Ontario, Canada M4V 1P5
Telephone: (416) 323-4321
If there is any problem with obtaining any of the documents menti-
oned in this bulletin, please contact me and I'll provide a list of
other places where you can get them.
CONTACT PEOPLE
--------------
1) Julia MacCrae, Health/Environment Worker, Nishnawbe-Aski Nation,
14 College Street, 6th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1K2
Telephone: (416) 920-2376
Telex: #06-218237
FAX: (416)920-1765
- health & environmental worker at Nishnawbe-Aski Nation who has lots
of information on: PCB's, their health effects on people, and about
Native communities presently effected by PCB's
2) Maureen Simpkins, Environment Worker, Chiefs of Ontario,
22 College Street, 2nd Floor, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1K2
Telephone: (416) 972-0212
- environmental worker for Chiefs of Ontario office, has lots of inform-
ation on PCB's and other environmental issues effecting Native people
in Ontario
3) Allan Roy, Environmental Worker, Union of Ontario Indians,
27 Queen Street East, 2nd Floor, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5C 1R5
Telephone: (416) 366-3527
- environmental worker at Union of Ontario Indians who knows a lot
about environmental issues effecting Native peoples
4) Laurie Montour, Walpole Island Research Centre, RR#3, Wallaceburg,
Ontario, Canada N8A 4K9
Telephone: (519) 627-8131
- environmental worker for Walpole Island Indian Reserve who knows alot
about toxic pollutants and their effects
5) Allan Penn, Cree Regional Authority, Quebec, Canada
Telephone: (514) 861-5837
- head of environmental protection for the Cree Regional Authority in
James Bay area of Quebec,knows effects of all kinds of toxic
pollutants, e.g., mercury and cadmium pollution
6) Dr. John Buschek, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Telephone: (613) 744-2589
- a chemist who knows all about toxic pollutants like PCB's
7) Pam Stokes, University of Toronto, Toronto Ontario, Canada
Telephone: (416) 978-6527
- a botanist who knows alot about effects of pollutants on
people and on the rest of the natural world
8) Joseph E.Cummins, Associate Professor, Genetics, University of
Western Ontario, Department of Plant Sciences, Biological &
Geological Building, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7
Telephone: (519) 679-2111 Extension: 6478
- a geneticist who knowes about pollution and its possible
effects on people and on other parts of the natural world
9) Al Johnson, Ontario Goverment, Water Resources Branch, Toronto
Ontario, Canada
Telephone: (416) 323-4914 or (416) 323-4927
- can provide fish studies, he has been studying toxics in fish
for many years and can give a different perspective on PCB's
All of these contact people have lots of contacts and have, or
know how to get, documents on: PCB's, waste dump sites, municipal
pollution discharges, PCB storage sites, fish studies and human
health studies as well as many other relevant topics.
Well--that's all I have to send you today! Hope you can do
print outs of this broadcast on PCB's and maybe send copies to
as many people as possible? A lot of people and groups aren't
"ON-Line" and the above information would be useful to a lot
of the bands, Native organizations and Nations. Any help on this
would be much apreciated!!!!
Also, it sure would be good to get some mail from somebody!
So please feel free to send me a "Dear John Letter"! IS THERE
ANYBODY OUT THERE?! --------
------------------
For Land and Life,
John Hummel
yunccn!john
:)
P.S. My mailing address is: John Hummel, 126 Ridley Blvd., Toronto,
Ontario Canada M5M 3L9. Please feel free to send me a letter or
information or secret documents, etc., etc.!!!! Bye till next
time!