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Swan Hills Treatment Center: PCBs and PCDD/F in wild game and fish tissue (1999-2014)

Description

The Swan Hills Treatment Centre (SHTC) is a facility for the safe disposal of special wastes located approximately 12 km northeast of the town of Swan Hills, AB. On October 16, 1996, a malfunction... More ≫

Description

The Swan Hills Treatment Centre (SHTC) is a facility for the safe disposal of special wastes located approximately 12 km northeast of the town of Swan Hills, AB. On October 16, 1996, a malfunction of a transformer furnace was discovered to have caused the release of a portion of process gases containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) into the ambient air. These chemicals can be harmful to human health. Therefore, in 1997 Alberta Health (AH) conducted a human health risk assessment study to estimate human exposure and to evaluate the effectiveness of public health interventions. As a result of the study, food consumption advice for wild game and fish taken within a 30 km radius of the facility were issued out of concern that PCBs and PCDD/Fs were accumulating in these locally caught foods. A long-term environmental monitoring and human exposure assessment program has been ongoing since 1998 to monitor concentrations of...

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Gillett's Checkerspot in the Southern Headwaters At Risk Project (SHARP) area

Description

Gillett's Checkerspot is a colourful and distinctive butterfly that has a very small global range and a global conservation status rank of imperiled/vulnerable. The species is relatively well... More ≫

Description

Gillett's Checkerspot is a colourful and distinctive butterfly that has a very small global range and a global conservation status rank of imperiled/vulnerable. The species is relatively well known with respect to its biology and ecology. Available information is summarized in this report and differences between USA and Alberta populations are discussed. The ecology of the species renders it amenable to integration with economic activity. It can be accommodated without significant expense or impact on other natural resource uses. In some cases, forest canopy removal associated with development can be a positive factor for the species but in the past this has been an accidental byproduct of such activity. Brief strategic and operations guidelines are recommended.

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