Public Comment Period extended for Human Health Risk Assessment

SUDBURY, ON – The Technical Committee overseeing the Sudbury Soils Study announced today that the Public Comment Period for the Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA) has been extended for an additional 90 days, pending the release of a French-language summary report, due later this month. The deadline for submitting formal public comments is now November 1, 2008.

Results of the HHRA (Volume 2 of the Sudbury Soils Study) were presented at three public information sessions in May, and a public comment period began May 19. Copies of the full technical report and an English-language summary report are currently available at all branches of the public library throughout Greater Sudbury, and can be accessed online at www.sudburysoilsstudy.com.

“It was always the intention of the Technical Committee to provide a French-language version of the summary report,” said Dr. Christopher Wren, Director of the Sudbury Area Risk Assessment (SARA) Group, the scientific team conducting the study. “Due to the technical nature of the material, the translation has taken longer than expected, so the study partners have agreed to extend the deadline for public comments for an additional three months.”

The full technical report will continue to be available in English only; while the summary reports offer the public a plain-language overview of the study approach, methodologies, results and conclusions of the HHRA.

As part of the transparent process followed throughout this study, the public is being given an opportunity to provide comments on the HHRA, which will be published as an appendix to the final report. Standard practice for public comment periods is 30 to 60 days. For this HHRA, the study partners have provided a comment period of approximately 165 days. While November 1, 2008, is the deadline for submitting formal comments for publication in the final report, questions about the HHRA results will continue to receive informal responses beyond the deadline. To qualify, all comments must include your name, address, phone number and email address. All comments must relate directly to the contents of the HHRA report, and must be submitted in writing, using one of the following methods:

Mail: HHRA Public Comments, c/o Gartner Lee Limited,
512 Woolwich St. Suite 2, Guelph, ON N1H 3X7

Fax: 1-519-763-1668

Email: comments@sudburysoilsstudy.com

Online Comment Form: www.sudburysoilsstudy.com

Residents with general inquiries concerning the Sudbury Soils Study can call toll-free 1-866-315-0228 or email: questions@sudburysoilsstudy.com

Technical Committee study partners for the Sudbury Soils Study include the Sudbury & District Health Unit, the Ontario Ministry of Environment, the City of Greater Sudbury, Health Canada First Nations & Inuit Health, Vale Inco, and Xstrata Nickel.

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For more information, contact:

For more information please contact
SARA Group director, Chris Wren at
1-519-766-1039 or 1-866-315-0228.